Endless Journey
by Tingshui
Summary: "There is...nothing left that I can give you, Sasuke Kun." "Then, I want your misfortune." Many years after chapter 700, Hinata made a hard decision for a painful reason, which was later disclosed by Sasuke and led to something unexpected between them. SasuHina fic translated from a Chinese one. (Finally finished! Thanks to all my readers supporting me finish my translation!）
1. Prologue

"There is...nothing left that I can give you, Sasuke Kun." "Then, I want your misfortune." Eventual SasuHina. Multi-chapter.

Rated: M for later

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Author's Note: Reviews are highly appreciated!

* * *

 **prologue**

Uzumaki Himawari stood alone in the shade of a tree, keeping a certain distance from the crowd.

She quietly watched them talk and laugh at this sumptuous picnic. In the center of the crowd were her brother Boruto and his wife, facing their father Naruto and Aunt Sakura. The four were chatting warmly, obviously very close.

Sarada was holding the hand of a cute little boy with a delicate paper birthday crown on his head, his constantly rolling eyes showing the playful nature inherited from his father.

On the table next to them lay a bid three-layer cake, with a creamy "Happy Fifth Birthday to Uzumaki Saruto" on its top.

 _Boruto and Sarada are a perfect match._ They said.

Himawari remained there, slightly squinting her azure eyes, with a look of detachment and aloofness that belied her young age. _She is strange._ They said. She seemed to be growing into someone quite different from the Hokage who was best known for his optimistic personality.

Nonetheless, when someone from the crowd greeted her, she smiled back and made a slight bow with curtesy. This was taught by her mother and needed to be followed perfectly.

"Why not give your true smile?"

An unfamiliar voice stroke her from behind.

Himawari looked back in surprise, only to see a young man jump from the branch over head and land right in from of her, the wind from his motion ruffling her waist-length hair. She was a powerful Kunochi who excelled most of her peers in jutsu. But this young man managed to approach her from behind without her slightest awareness.

He was about her age, handsome, with his slightly curly black hair tied at the back of head and hung loosely on his left shoulder. He had a look of typical Japanese, but the garment inside his cloak was exotic, and the sword secured by a indigo strap to his waist was western style.

Seeing her being on alert, he scratched his head with a timid smile on his face, and gently apologized, " I'm sorry for startling you. Are you angry?"

It's weird a young boy should blush so easily. She thought to herself, then answered blandly: "No. But why are you talking to me?"

"I was thinking that your long hair looks pretty. It would look even better if you smile." His flattering words flowed naturally, and his black eyes fixed on her, shamelessly this time.

Slightly taken aback, Himawari bit her lips and lowered her head under his intense gaze.

I smiled, didn't I? She countered. But that never slipped her mouth.

For some unexplainable reason, she easily let her guard down in front of black-eyed boys, especially this one standing in front of her, whose gentleness and blush somehow reminded her of the person she missed the most.

"...Where are you from? And what are you going to do here?" was all she asked.

"I come from overseas." He said honestly, "I'm going to send a letter to Konoha's blond idiot for my Master."

Despite his gentle voice and polite manner, that "blond idiot " popping up from his serious answer almost got Himawari choked on the spot.

Now, she really was amused. Himawari looked at his childish face, a small smile-a smile she rarely showed-cracked her lips: "Hmm...Well I can bring you to him. I'm his daughter. Uzumaki Himawari."

Her words surprised the young man a bit, who began to carefully study this delicate young girl.

He looked up and down at her, blatantly, until soft blush adorned her face and her head lowered again.

All of a sudden, the young man took her hand and gave a cheerful laughter: "I've heard about you."

Staring at her - her pouted lips and her shyness that couldn't hide behind her cold mask - with his black, gentle eyes, he said slowly:

"My name is Yukisei."

( Youkisei: A Japanese name which means "born in snow" )


	2. -The part of orchid- Chapter 1

_A/N: Thanks for commenting and following!_

 _Back to years ago where their story began._

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Chapter 1

* * *

Naruto yawned as he walked out of the bedroom in the morning, almost bumping into Hinata who took food out of the kitchen.

Yesterday, having spent nearly half a month in the Hokage's office, he decided to fetch some clothes, odds and ends from home. Too exhausted from work to spend much time with his wife, he went for bed directly the moment he entered the bedroom and slept like a log. Now, the sight of Hinata made his heart twitch slightly in guilt.

For some curious reason, his long absence didn't seem to bring Hinata any frustration. She looked quite happy instead, and even smiled at her bleary-eyed husband: "Naruto, I made your favourite food today."

She looked radiant than her usual pale, haggard self. It was due to her newly trimmed fringe, probably.

Naruto didn't expect that his wife would take the initiative to greet him, then he couldn't help but notice that she was wearing a dress that narrowed down at the waist. The way it flattered her voluptuous body left him more confused and slightly...stunned.

"Thank you, darling." Naruto responded promptly with a smile the instance he collected himself and took his sit at the table, though his eyes were still lingering on the hem of that thin dress.

He remembered it was a gift from him last spring, prompted by some friends who mischievously suggested it could help spice things up, but for Hinata, the dress was too revealing and sexy, showing too much of her cleavage and was therefore, though in her gratitude, shelved and long forgotten - so why was she wearing it now?

Their son and daughter had left for school an hour ago, leaving two of them at their spacious house.

The warm sunlight of early spring cast upon Hinata. Staring at her back, then her porcelain legs, Naruto was hit by a sudden feeling that his wife became more beautiful since the last time he set his eyes on her.

Long before their marriage, when they were both at their peak of youth, Hinata was known for her shyness and reserved nature. She always dressed conservatively, deliberately hiding her curves and hence was somewhat eclipsed by other young Kunoichies.

She kept her restrained style through marriage, especially in current years, where she quietness became more apparent. Sometimes they found themselves in awkward silence without their kids' presence.

It was not really that awkward though. Whenever they were invited to an important event, her modest manner and elegant bearings from a noble family showed its strength. She fulfilled the role of Hokage's wife well. Her discreet nature that complemented his rash personality had helped him win numerous favors.

If she wanted a change, Naruto mused, that wouldn't be a bad idea though.

Thinking of this, he grinned at her: "Hinata, you look great in that dress."

"Thank you." She smiled back and sit opposite, nudging the sauce bottle toward him a bit as usual, "You bought that for me. Of course it's pretty."

"Is that so?" He touched his nose sheepishly. There was something different about her that remotely reminded him of their youth. "Actually, I'm planning to take our children for a spring trip to enjoy cherry blossom. A fortnight later. I had Shikamaru arranged my schedule."

Hinata stiffened for a moment, then mildly agreed: "That's good then. Himawari and Boruto will be very happy."

Naruto stuffed breakfast in his mouth merrily. His conversation with her went incredibly smooth, which was almost enough to convince him of today's good omen and made him want to kiss her.

It was when he was about to leave and she sent him to the porch as usual that she called him from behind, "Naruto."

His name, three syllables, always sounded soft and emotional as she uttered it.

"Yes?" he offered absently.

Less than two steps away, Hinata suddenly went down on her knees in a graceful motion, leaned forward and kowtowed to him.

It was a submissive gesture, a part of old etiquette that had been imprinted on her since childhood. Quietly she said: "Naruto. I'm leaving today."

Her voice traveled up, reaching his ears, like a plant that had been struggling in the dark for too long, in a painfully slow but irreversible way, finally broke through the soil.


	3. Chapter 2

_A/N: Again, thanks for commenting and following! That's my biggest motivation._

* * *

Chapter 2

* * *

When Himawari and Boruto arrived home from school, they were greeted neither by their mother's habitual greeting, nor by the warm glow from their house.

Boruto stepped into their dark living room first, only to find their absentee father on the couch, smoking heavily, cigarette butts everywhere around his feet. The subdued light of dusk that found its way through the window exposed his ashen face.

Their mother stood on the other side of the room, with her head held low and face shadowed by her long locks. Looking up, she smiled at them:"You two are back. Dinner is on the second floor. Take your sister there, Boruto."

An unsettling silence penetrated the air. Boruto frowned, unwilling to move, and somehow glowered at his father. As far as he remembered, his father was the one to blame for all those awkward moments between their parents.

It was Himawari who reacted, nudging him in her halfhearted attempt to get him out as she admonishingly whispered:"What are you doing!..."

"Boruto, Himawari, no." Naruto stopped them, his voice hoarse from smoking."You two, stay there. -Hinata, Even if your are going to leave, before you do, listen to what our kids have to say."

Seeing how their confusing faces turn several shades into a simple shock, Hinta stiffened, yet her expression remained calm. She came up to her kids, and softly explained: "Boruto, Himawari, you have grown up. So, I will honestly tell you this. I have some of my own business to deal with. That means I will have to leave, but not Konoha. I will settle near its border. Find me anytime if you need me. Is that Ok?"

Now the distance was short enough for Himawari - still digesting everything - to suddenly notice her mother's swollen cheek. She yelped："Mother...your face..."

Naruto's fingers shuddered, almost slipping the cigarette. Hinata paled a bit, then admitted: "Yes, it was him."

They'd been rowing all day long.

To be more specific, only Naruto was rowing while Hinata was somewhat unconcerned. She even left at a time to make dinner for their kids.

Despite his articulate remarks that could convert an enermy, Naruto found his words annoyingly weak and futile in shaking her resolve. Hinata, the woman who once loved him with all her heart and soul, was stiff-necked. She sacrificed herself for Naruto when threatened by death; Now, even death could not change her mind.

There was a moment Naruto thought by leaving his wife meant moving back to Hyuga's home, but proved wrong. He apologized, placated, committed, and even mentioned Neji.

His eyes went red. "I need to take care of you even for Neji's sake. How could I let you go?"Lowering her eyes, she promised: "I will tell Neji that you've been good to me."

He was so mad in the end that he screamed at her: "What do you want? Ruin my life?"

A smile graced her lips: "Guess again?"

It was destructive, as if she had been training that soft smile and soft tone all her life just for a moment's mockery.

Engulfed by wrath, Naruto couldn't think straight and the slap landed on her face was so hard that she stumbled backwards with a pang.

He regretted instantly, trembling. This was the first time he hit her in their twenty years' marriage. Nothing could justify what he had done.

Hinata said nothing nonetheless. She steadied herself and stepped aside, ignoring him in a gesture more of dignity and pride other than grievance.

-Where was that weeping little girl who once was an easy prey? She truly was Hiashi's daughter now.

When everything registered, Boruto was enraged, too: "Father! How could you hit our mother?"

Himawari stared at Naruto, then had her eyes on Hinata.

"I..."Naruto stammered, a mixed feeling of guilt, anger, confusion and grief churned his stomach. The sudden realization that he had skipped his work today, and that half-eaten loaf of bread on his desk - all muddled in a mess.

Their vast house echoed with a long, long silence.

Then, Himawari stepped forward, reaching out for Hinata's damp hands:

"I see, mother. Do what you want. I will take care of Boruto and father."

Before Hinata packed up and took her leave, Naruto remembered his wife's sides throbbed on freezing days. "Is the house you are moving in cold?"

His ragged voice registered a tinge of both exhaustion and...relief.

A hand on the wooden knob, Hinata paused, "It's alright."

The reassurance she used to give him every time he apologized for leaving her behind, in the end, was all she had to offer.


	4. Chapter 3

03

The spring equinox just past, so the night was still kind of cold, but the moon was truly bright and beautiful, silhouetted against the profound and dark sky, revealed a temperate mournful. Uchiha Sasuke sat on the roof of his own house, enjoying the full moon, drinking a cup of wine. The moon reflected in the ceramic cup, and the cool wind brought delightful feeling.

His house was located on the edge of Konoha, perfectly remote, no neighbor, no track, only a few of his old acquaintances could occasionally come around. Although Naruto often nagged that "since you've come back, you should be more integrated into the village", but as long as that obsidian-eye man gave him a cold glance, all the preaching would be stopped cleverly .

After more than ten years' tug-of-war, Sasuke and Sakura finally reached an odd balance: he was no longer wandering, came back to the village and stayed at where she can touch, but got the freedom to live alone; On the other hand, Sakura can't live together with him, but Sarada and she were allowed to occasionally visit, sharing the happiness of a family union, which satisfies her at the end.

Thanks for that, he was really living a peaceful life in the past two years, therefore heartfully hoped that on one would come to disturb these halcyon days.

But the hope soon died down.

From the forest road, there came a sound of footsteps: clogs gently tapped on the ground, particularly noticeable in the quiet night.

His black eyes turned to that sound's direction, and there was a woman slowly stepping out from the thick shadow of forest. Her long indigo hair's combed up in a chignon, her elegant kimono was embroidered with golden thread, the obi belt was decorated with colorful festooned barrow, and the jewel obidome was shining under the moonlight. She dressed like something joyous happened. Watching more carefully, that pearl-white eyes clearly showed her identity.

She lifted her head, looking up at the night sky. The white eyes set off with full moon. Then, there was suddenly a small smile bloom on her face.

Weird, it's too weird. 

Sasuke had never been afraid of Oni or Kami, but now, looking at Mrs. Hokage, he frowned and feels worry slightly. -- Was she just caught by Genjyutsu or something? However, he soon excluded this possible option, thus decided to ignore her. It really conformed to his unconcerned nature called "none of my business", 

But Hinata had seen him already. After a little thought, she came over and smiles, "Uchiha kun, good evening."

He nodded as a reply. --compared to his young and frivolous age, this could be called as a great progress.

"The moonlight is really clear, and the terrain is wide, too, so it won't be too wet here in summer." She praised with satisfaction.

Sasuke was baffled by her remarks. Then it reminded him that Sakura also loved to talk about those women feelings that were seemingly poetic, practically meaningless. So, he treated Hinata's words like such empty contents, and did not even bother to reply.

"So, I'm going to build a room here."

"..." For the first time in his life, Uchiha Sasuke doubted his hearing, "What?"

Hyuga Hinata bowed slightly to him in neat manners, and repeated politely. "I said, I'd like to build a room here."

Sasuke started feeling headache. What on earth did that stupid Hokage do to make his full-mark wife act in such a strange way? 

But no matter what, she'd better not to disturb him, "I don't care about any room, just go elsewhere."

If she was still the Hyuga Hinata of the past, she would certainly have been choked, blushed, apologized and left. But that white-eye woman still stood there, "I guess this land is not belong to Uchiha kun, so even if I stay here, you'll be alright anyway, won't you?"

She put those thick-skinned words out confidently and smoothly, matching with her cordial tone and smile, those who didn't know the truth would literally consider that it's she who going to give a big house to Sasuke.

There was a world difference between this woman in front of him and the understanding wife and loving mother he used to know. Sasuke at the moment was almost impressed -- at least she is not so boring right now.

Although he was weary of speech, every time when he really needs to talk, the sharp words will hurt and draw some blood,  just like any excellent Ninjutsu. However, now to this weak white-eye woman, he could barely come up with any word to get rid of her. After all she was Naruto's wife, surely he can't cleave her with Chidori. What a pity.

So he ended up saying, "I hate crowd, and noise." with his sharp eyes narrowed, and a frightening expression showed on his handsome face, throwing a gaze like knife.

Hinata involuntarily took a step back, and her clogs knocked out a small sound at the ground.

When hearing the voice, all her timidity was suddenly swept away.

The voice of clogs was Hinata's favorite since childhood. It would always recall all the rare moments sharing with her father. But before betrothal, she must wear Zori sandals, walking quietly, because even a slight sound bothering others would be impolite. And after wedding, in order to cater to her husband's preferences, she simply didn't wear kimono at all.

But from now on, regardless of others' convenience or the strict collocation, she WAS going to wear clogs, wearing only for herself.

Just like this moment, she WAS going to build a room here, even if the poker-face Uchiha Sasuke was living next door, so what?

"-- don't worry, Sasuke kun. I'll build it alone, and quietly."

Hinata stood firmly, smiling at him, answers with his spear against his shield. The Miss Frightened now seemed not afraid at all.

It may because that the thing frightened and tortured her most has been dealt a moment ago.


	5. Chapter 4

04

Uzumaki Naruto laid on the desk feeling depressed, getting two big black eye bags, and some stubble shadowing his chin. He apparently had a sleepless night. Putting his cheek on the desktop, turning eyes, he was reading the documents like a child in detention.

A huge bump hit on the door in front of him, but Naruto was still reading his paper, lengthening the question, "who...is it...?"

"Get your wife out of my place."

A long-time-no-see voice, and long-time-no-see anger.

Naruto sat up right away, straightening his back," Sa-sa-sasuke, what are you doing here?"

This obsidian-eye man appeared in front of him unexpectedly, almost gave Lord Hokage a heart attack.

Sasuke had been a lonely wolf since his young age, and kept his pride till now though he had lost a little edges because of the brutal fate. Therefore, if not for emergency, he would never come to the village. If there is a mission, Naruto would have to send a messenger to that damn mountain villa. So it was actually for more than a month since Naruto met Sasuke last time.

Found him being in such a terrible situation, Sasuke picked his eyebrow, "what happened to you?"

This question was nothing but a small warming-up for his real purpose, but it really touched Naruto's heart. He immediately leaped on him, crying, "Sa~su~ke~! You do care about me!"

Seeing that golden head hitting over at a high speed, Sasuke blocked his face by one hand in time, "I'm sure it's your illusion."

"I won't mind," the Seventh Hokage, whose face still got blocked, staring at his best friend from those fingers, insisting, "Sasuke, drink with me, please!"

After some childish wrangling like "come on!" and "no!", Sasuke finally stopped this folly, sited on a small Izakaya with his friend.

Their relationship seemed to have been like this forever, and Sasuke was always the one who waved the white flag.

"So now, Boruto completely ignored me," Naruto said with one hand holding his chin, and the other with a small glass of wine, "but Himawari was considerate enough to make breakfast for me this morning. Hah, Sasuke, don't you think daughter is the best?"

Sasuke didn't take this topic, paused a little, then asked, "why did you hit her?"

It was truly Uchiha Sasuke, who can always touch the essential part with one sentence. Thank God for giving him the silent virtue, otherwise his mouth can be used as a powerful Jutsu, too. Naruto thought like that, then sighed with embarrassment, "I...I guess I just lost my marbles then." frowning with confusion, he continued," but I didn't foresee she would tell the truth in front of kids. The Hinata I know was very...very..."

What is it? At last he could not pick a proper word, so finished by a perfunctory phrase, "caring for me."

Sasuke looked at that face with resignation. Naruto was in his 30s, appearing quite handsome now, and still retained a purity specially belongs to young people.

On the other side, Sasuke was of course the man who lost purity long time ago. Maybe that's why he now inevitably showed a trace of disdain. "Naruto, Boruto and Himawari are both not small babies, did you expect they would be fooled just by some sort of "mom explanation" ?"

Naruto grimaced at that cold face, then scratched his golden head, "Of course you are right! So what should I do now?!"

Being asked, Sasuke got few words, too.

His impression of the relationship between men and women, probably can be described as a chasing in which girls ran after, and he simply refused them all. The relationship with Sakura was an upgraded version of the chase battle based on childhood friendship. Year after year, there finally produced a bond that can not be given up. And that's all, nothing else.

But the type like Hyuga Hinata? He's never been with her before. Actually, they barely talked with each other. He summed up many vague impressions of her, only painted a woman of forbearing, or of weakness. His values made him instinctively uninterested in the weak.

Therefore, he literally got no suggestion for Naruto.

But Naruto was waiting for his speech in earnest. He sighed, only to provide his tactical experience over the years against Sakura. "You can indulge her a little."

"Indulge?" Naruto repeated in surprise,considering for a moment, "when I'm facing with political partners, or dealing with kids, I can do that. But with Hinata? Dude, she's a master of self-control. I really don't think she'd ever need that... Gahh, how could family suddenly become more tiring and complicated than my official documents? It had been so great for so many years!"

Sasuke tutted fretfully, a suspect to this guy's intelligence coming up again, "never mind. It is a waste of life casting pearls before swine."

Heard the quoting, Naruto patted his shoulder like teacher Iruka, praising at a teasing smile, "Hah, didn't expect Sasuke can say such words of wisdom!"

"..." Sasuke choked down the urge to crack that advanced flesh prostheses, trying to drag the topic to his true purpose, "Leave that alone, first listen to this: After fighting with you, your wife left home and ran over to my mountain last night. And, she's planing to built a house there. You need to sweet talk her and take her back."

Naruto froze, and said, "ah? Oh...Well, okay!"

The hope of regaining peace was right in front. But just as Sasuke sighs in relief, a young Ninja rushed in suddenly: "Hokage sama!"

Naruto turned back and took the documents that Ninja delivered, and his face suddenly changed, "Did Shikamaru know this? Contact him right now!" As soon as his voice fell, he grabbed the cloak to leave.

Sasuke stopped him, "what about Hinata?"

"Tied up now!" Naruto hurriedly lifted the door curtain, then turned back to his friend, smiling, "please help me taking care of her, it's a relief to know that you live by her side. I'll pick her up as soon as finishing my work! - uh, or what about getting a Kage Bunshin to her? "

Fools grow without watering. Hearing his silly proposal, Sasuke felt speechless, "just get out of my sight."


	6. Chapter 5

05

Coming out from the village, Sasuke didn't want to go back to endure Hinata, so he went to the woods, found a stout branch and napped a little while.

Looking at the bright sky, he couldn't help but wondering: What in the world happened to them? Of course their marriage was obviously dull, but obviously stable as well, for it bonded Hyuga clan and the Hokage together. There is no reason the Hyuga daughter would break up with him regardless of her clan's interests.

Besides, didn't they got "love"? - a word can cause him laughing simply by its ridiculous pronunciation. It's not like that he'd ever believe in "love", but he still remembered that Naruto was quite happy with Hinata before wedding, showing off his cute girlfriend everywhere. There was one time when they four met in the street, Naruto introduced Hinata as his girlfriend again intentionally in order to get some new jealousy. He despised that childish, but Sakura was cooperative enough to give a heartfelt admiration again,"you two look so in love right now!"

Then Naruto's smile suddenly became very strange, more strange than being hit by someone on the stomach. And Hinata was...What was she doing? He couldn't recall. But it didn't matter since it never matters to anyone. All he remembered about the white-eye girl was she fell in "love" with Naruto just like Sakura said.

\- However, It looked like "love" so much, turned out it was not. So what's that damn "love" should be?

He fell asleep before figured it out, and when he woke up, it was dusk already. He had no choice but walking home, while scolding that idiot Naruto in his heart.

Walking Out of the path of the forest shade, he was surprised to see that there appeared a half-finished little hut, whose four walls had been set up. It should be finished after another one or two days by adding the roof and opening windows and a door.

Hyuga Hinata changed the luxurious kimono of yesterday into a plain purple coat, being absorbed with timber board now. Then she suddenly slipped, fell on her back, therefore her sight was directly toward the Uchiha Sasuke not far way. She could not help but said in surprise, "Sa-Sasuke kun...!"

Looked up in such angle, his tall and straight posture is even more outstanding. Hinata blinks her eyes a few times, and sat up quickly, biting her lips, cleaning her clothes and hair, feeling too embarrassed to look at him.

She was still easy to blush like a teenager though being a mother of two kids. The crafty and wayward woman calling him "Uchiha kun" last night, seemed to be a devil possessing instead of real her.

"You can stop right now," Sasuke went over to her and says, "I've told Naruto about this and he'll pick you up when all his work's done."

It's weird that the obstructing words could sound like a comfort, and even he himself felt awkward about it.

She wants to reply, but pauses a little, combing her hair with fingers, as if thinking about how the words should be said. Finally she just smiled, "well, if Naruto comes, I will stop."

Watching at her tender face, Sasuke sighed because of Naruto's "take care of her" request, which he didn't have chance to refuse. He really sighed too much these two days, not consistent with his cool impression at all. "You can stay in my house. There are lots of empty rooms here."

Hinata got a little surprised. It was hard to imagine that a proud man of his own kind would say such an invitation by himself. But she shook her head, "that's so kind of you, Sasuke kun, but I want my own home..." then continuing with a little embarrassed, "Err, I do need your help...I want to borrow a quilt from you...Is that okay?"

In the evening, Hinata finally stopped work, ready to go back to her "home". It has no door nor window, fortunately there didn't exist a roof, either. So she just jumped directly over the wall, carrying a quilt borrowed from Sasuke.

She got little luggage, the most valuable thing is probably the kimono Hanabi give her as wedding gift. The others are merely small things such as a family photo, a jewelry box, a comb, and a few clothes. She left home without too much packing up. It seemed improper and meaningless to bring anything else out there since they were all belong to Naruto, not to her.

Hinata made her simple-to-tousy "bed", places the photo of Himawari and Boruto by her side then went to bed. Beneath the quilt there were rough logs rubbing against, so she felt grateful to Sasuke for his help.

The endless sky and ambiguous moonlight reflected in her moist eyes, dyeing the pale eyes a color of meditating.

Hinata remembered that Kiba kun, Sino kun and she often rested together in the wilderness while doing missions, and they were used to looking at the sky just like now. The bonfire crackling, the leaves rustling, two boys were chatting, and she listened to them quietly. As the voice getting lower, everyone gradually fell asleep. -How precious and pleasant that time was.

She asked herself: But why didn't you join their conversation? In the silence at that time, what kind of thoughts were you chewing over?

Then she closed her eyes slowly, laughing at herself a little: Alas, why bother asking? It must be about a myth in which you paid great price, and got a "dream come true" life with that one you love.

Tonight's moonlight is a bit fuzzy, not suitable for viewing.

But Sasuke still climbed onto the roof. He stood on the cornice, with dark hair and obsidian eyes, like a black bird perching on loneliness.

Looking across the alley between, Sasuke viewed Hyuga Hinata's so-called home. Her unfinished hut got only four walls, almost like a black box which had not yet been closed, buried in an narrow and dreary darkness. Some dim moonlight falling on the white quilt, slightly brightens that sleeping silhouette. He felt it ominous. What's worse, he always owned an instinct of infallibility.

Therefore, this hut, and this woman, both dragged Sasuke down.

Dropped his eyes, he sneered, turned back to his own house, no more looking at either of them.


	7. Chapter 6

06

Next day, he got up a little late, trapped by the unpleasant mood aroused by that hut.

However, when walking out of his house, Sasuke was surprised to find that the roof had been set up now, and the door's been shaped as well, though they were both very rough. Thanks to them the hut started to look like something serious instead of a toy of whim. It appeared that Hyuga's Taijyustu was superb enough to construct without making noise.

In the bright spring sunshine, with these improvement, this hut was no longer a black box at all. The hut built by logs was very rare in today's Konoha, but Sasuke used to play in this kind of room when he was a child. That was a backyard shed of Uchiha's old residence, and it was ruined in blood a long time ago.

Maybe that's the reason when found a moss mark on the wooden wall, almost unconsciously, he wanted to walk over and erase the dirt there.

At this point, Hyuga Hinata suddenly rushed out from the back of her hut, with a face filled with sweat and rosiness. She detected him with Byakugan."I'm so sorry, Sasuke kun, did I wake you up?""

It's great that she came in time. Sasuke almost stepped out, and now stood at where he was, answering briefly, "No."

She was apparently in a good mood. After some consideration, she came over with a piece of long thin wood in her hand, standing in front of him with a friendly smile, "Please excuse my liberty, but Sasuke kun, would you kindly make a window sill for me, I wonder?"

She asked out of an innocent hope of making friends, but Sasuke frowned, "That would never happen."

The little bit of good impression he had of her immediately vanished. She seemed to have forgotten that her hut was a production of invading someone's domain, which should not have appeared from the beginning, so she really shouldn't expect him to lend a helping hand.

Hinata blushed for shame, the bright pearl eyes sank in shadows again, murmuring, "I'm so sorry..." and after two words, her voice recovered its civility, "for my offense."

At this embarrassing time, there was a young Ninja hurrying his way over here, jumping out from the branches of the trees, crying, "Sasuke san-!"

Hinata recognized him even before he landed. It's Konohamaru, who used to be a mischievous little boy, but now a skillful and reliable Ninja.

Sasuke nods, "what's the matter?"

Only for a moment, the whole atmosphere around him changed. He became an eagle suddenly spreading its wings, bursting out a prestige presence.

Konohamaru gave Hinata an intimate look as greeting, then directly went to Sasuke. He whispered a few words to Sasuke, passed a scroll, then takes a step back, bowing with respect, "Sasuke san, it's all counting on you."

Sasuke nodded again and went back to his house, leaving Konohamaru and Hinata standing there.

Konohamaru had been one of the right-hand men of Naruto recent years. He handled many daily business for his boss, so he spent more time in Uzumaki's house than Naruto himself. This time, besides sending a mission, Naruto also told him to stop by and see if Hinata was okay.

But even without Naruto's order, he himself wanted to know as well, "Hinata nee-san, how are you doing these days?"

He called Hinata "nee-san" without honorifics, showing their familiarity and intimacy.

Hinata watched him carefully like he was a real brother, and patted him on the arm. "Don't worry, I'm fine." Then continued seriously,"and you must tell Naruto so, OK?"

Konohamaru scratched his head,"Alright...But why don't you just go back? I can give Aniki a lesson for you if you like! really!"

Hinata smiled,"Thank you Konohamaru, but it's time for both of us to rethink and figure something out. The task is difficult. I guess that's the reason why he didn't come with you today."

Her words sounded like a riddle that Konohamaru can not solve. When he was a child, he envied Naruto's family for its happiness; But when gradually growing up, he increasingly felt some kind of sorrow for them. However, he was only an outsider, got no right to judge. After all, his Hokage had too many responsibilities and too much work.

"I see." Finally Konohamaru just took Hinata's hand and said with concern, "then you must be careful about health. I'll go to check out Hanabi chan..I mean, Hanabi sama's situation when I get spare time...I'm afraid of her being too angry."

\- At Hanabi's insistence, Hinata did not change her surname after marriage. On the one hand, it's a compromise with those elders in clan; On the other hand, it is Hanabi's threat to Hokage sama that he must treat her sister dearly, or the Hyuga clan WILL be unpleasant.

Hinata thought of her younger sister's beautiful face, and her everlasting subtle unhappy expression which was quite similar to Neiji nii-san in the past. So she could not help but smiling, "she will know it, because I shall go to the Hyuga's mansion and appease her tomorrow. You'd better not go. We both know that Hanabi might take you as Naruto and give you some Juken lessons."

Konohamaru laughed out, but immediately pretended to be serious for seeing the illusion of Hanabi's cold face.

After a simple packing up, Sasuke walked out of the courtyard. There was only Hinata herself standing there.

It surprised him. He thought that Konohamaru would bring her away together, instead of letting her remain here stubbornly, getting others annoyed.

When things came to the "annoying" part, Sasuke really started to feel exasperated, walking to the road silently. This mission will take about ten days, and he guessed it must be enough for Hokage sama to move his honorable legs and take away his wife!

"Sasuke kun...!" Hinata behind him suddenly called.

He paused a bit, then stopped and turned back. The warm sunshine went through her thinner bangs, sprinkling its golden light in those pearl-white eyes vaguely, making her reticent eyes unknowingly genial and bright.

She smiled at him, slightly bowed in an elegant manner. "Please be careful on your way."

The traveller of loneliness narrowed his black eyes, watching her. After a moment of silence, he said to her,"Go into my house, if it rains."

Then he turned away, leaving Hinata standing alone with confusion, surrounded by warm sunshine touching down slowly.

Why did he say that? In his mysterious tone, left mysterious words. It sounded like caring, or unconcerned at all: No one can ever read his proud and unruly heart. It's just like his eyes of Rinnegan and Sharingan, hiding the biggest secret of the world, but finally buried in a soundless black.


	8. Chapter 7

07

The disharmony between Hokage couple soon turned into a hot gossip in Konoha.

It was said that when being asked, Hokage replied with a smile, "my wife just needs some rest from all the household chores and refresh her mind. There is nothing to worry about. Don't mention that Sasuke is living next door. I'm sure he well help me take care of her!"

Therefore, Uchiha Sasuke was unfortunately involved in the gossip. Someone even made a joke about two brothers of Broke-elbow Mountain taking turns to look after each other's wife, and it became quite a hit in the streets and lanes.

Even on this mission, Sasuke's two companions often casted on him with curiosity. Fortunately he was born with an ice-cold face written "murderer", eliminating all sorts of stupid questions from all sorts of people. No one would ever dare to tease him.

But every time when Sasuke thought of it, he got inevitably annoyed at the damn Hokage, a genius of getting others in trouble. All the troubles he brought could precisely fill in seven hundred and twenty episodes.

What bothered him more was that no one really considered Hokage couple's separation as a serious matter.

Of course they got thousands of reasons: First, Naruto was an excellent Hokage, diligent in his work and loving his people. With his strong power, he got so many work to do and so many people to love that everyone could understand his difficulties. Second, Hinata had been such an understanding wife for more than ten years, no one would doubt her faith to Naruto after hearing her moving love story. - What's more, the Hyuga family and Uzumaki Naruto deeply depended on each other. The ancient tree can be relied on, and the man who can protect it, if they really separated one day, there would be no good for either side. As the bond-maintainer, how could Hyuga Hinata not know?

So there was definitely no possibility that this couple may divorce. After some women grouches, at the very last they would reconcile.

"- Don't you think so, Sasuke san?" When resting in a small restaurant, one young Ninja talked about this matter to him, smiling.

Sasuke eyed him for a moment coldly, successfully ending this dumb question with one single look.

In front of his black eyes, there appeared a placid woman building her own home, as if to give a negative answer. And it occurred to him from nowhere that maybe the work of Naruto is gonging to last forever.

But he finally ignored her tiny figure by some kind of indifferent inertia.

After half a month, Sasuke finished his task and rushed back.

Sakura sent a oral message asking him to come back in time for Sarada's graduation celebration. Sarada was sixteen now. After the graduation ceremony, she will leave school and enter the society as a professional Ninja. So that day is really special, even Sasuke who barely took part in any ceremony or family activity should present.

On the night of return, there fell a rain.

The spring drizzle touched like lithe silks, gleaming as crystal fragments.

Sasuke trudged back, with his black cloak rustling in the wind. He finished the original four-day travel in two days.

At the end of the forest path, he slowed his pace and stepped out steadily. There was a completed cabin in front of his house, changed in a drastic way. It had been painted, filled with two glass windows, renewed with a tiles roof, and there hung a string of sliver wind-bells on the top of the door, vibrating slightly in the quiet night.

The window exactly in his line of version was unduly wide so that he could see every nook and corner inside. It was empty there.

\- "Don't you think so, Sasuke san?"

The boy's voice suddenly sounded in his ears again, with some teasing smile.

Sasuke didn't feel relieved as expected, just decided to make Naruto come and clean all the vexatious products from his wayward wife some day.

He thought like that while walking into his own door, then stopped in surprise.

His home was built in a traditional Japanese style. There was a small pond on the right side of the courtyard, inside growing some water lilies, swimming several Koi fish. At the moment, a sprinkling of rain was pattering on the surface, making a tender sound. Facing the pond there was a wooden veranda for resting. A woman was sitting there sleeping, only wearing an indigo gown, with her head leaning on the pillar.

\- Isn't that Hyuga Hinata? Why was she still here?

Sasuke went over in doubt. With his straw sandals walking at the graveled path, the footsteps were even lighter than the cats'. Taking a closer look, he found her face pale morbidly and her brow wet. She bit her lips even in sleep.

She was being trapped in a dream.

In this cold and depressing dream, she's waiting for someone forever.

She's waiting to get a "no" from that man and give a "yes" to his negative, and that would be her only appropriate way to love. Through it she got a distance of wisdom to both of them, not far nor close, avoiding every cruel truth lurking in every corner, like a timid child blinds her own eyes while wandering in a never-dissipating night.

But no. But she's going to speak out an opposite word this time, for her pride, for this woeful cause and effect, and for this man she deeply loves...

Sasuke intended to wake her up and let her go, but it occurred to him that she did get a permission before. hesitated for a moment, he took off his cloak and wrapped her up. He was taller than average people, while Hinata was dainty. It made the clothes way too big for her, almost like a huge robe submerged her, and her pale face became a lonely, helpless water lily restraining the rainy night.

Hinata felt some warmth and a feeling of resting in a man's arms. By the shaking of footsteps, she can tell that this man is walking into the room from the veranda, holding her. She thought it was him, so didn't resist, "It's you...came back?"

Sasuke didn't understand why she asked, just throating, "Hmm."

She was eager to open the eyes and look at him, but this dream that had been done thousands of times was too cold for her, colder than a fire burning her down inside, a monster eroding her by inches.

Gathering all the strength, she just revealed a painful smile, whispering, "I'd rather...you didn't."

Sasuke dropped his black eyes, watching her snow-white fingers grasping his clothes. She seemed too fear to let go, so he didn't get rid of her at the end.

And after a pause, he answered in an indifferent tone, "I can tell."


	9. -The part of orange flowers- Chapter 8

[The Part of Orange Blossom]

08

When Hinata woke up, she smelled a delicate fragrance of tatami. It was this fragrance that accompanied her childhood.

She opened her eyes with a feeling of nostalgia. The first thing that caught her eyes was a men's gray coat. It apparently belonged to the obsidian-eye Uchiha she's not close to, and was clutched by her for the whole night.

She was a little confused, and soon found her left hand totally numb, seriously aching with even a slight move. The pain spread from fingertips to arm. But it was completely tolerable for her, because she'd been suffered recent years, especially at night. So she was fine enough to act normal in the mornings.

She walked out from the corridor inside, and Sasuke was standing near the entryway. He saw Hinata stop at the shiki-i with a little hesitation, with her neat bun casually loose.

"I'm going to Sarada's school," he quietly looked away from her hair and says, "so help yourself."

Hinata hid her stiff arm behind, bowing to him ashamedly, "Thank you for last night, Sasuke kun... I'll leave right away."

She pasted him hurriedly, lowering her head. Her white, elegant nape leaking from the collar of purple kimono in a very eye-catching way. Sasuke stared at her running out of the porch to her little cabin, narrowed his black eyes reflectively.

While dressing up, she was angry with herself for the undue behavior. She was attracted by the dripping sound of the pond last night and wanted to admire the view for a moment, so ventured to go into Sasuke's house. But she would never expect to stay overnight... WAIT A MINUTE, did she say anything stupid to him? Was there anything more embarrassing than grabbing an unacquainted man's clothes ever happened? -She can not remember the situation with accuracy, which made her more worried and ashamed. This could be her top three humiliating experience in history.

But she had to go to the Ninja school because today was the day of celebration, a big day to every child in Konoha. After the Ninja world regained balance, there were suddenly a lot of leisure time for Ninjas to come up with all kinds of festivals, and graduation ceremony is one of the most popular.

It was her family tradition to videotape this event every year, recording the growing-up process of her dear son and daughter.

When Hinata walked out of the door, she found that Sasuke was still standing at the intersection of the trail. Hearing her footsteps, he turned back and said, "let's go."

This curt invitation panicked Hinata more. It was too impossible for the proud Uchiha to commune with his neighbour. She must do something really wrong to deserve this rank of punishment.

Sasuke certainly would not understand her complicated feelings, so he just continued, "you should tell Sakura about your aching hand when we arrive."

Hinata was shocked that he would see through the pain she tried so hard to hide. All the time she'd been good at setting people's mind at ease. Half of them trusted her discretion, and the other half just forgot she ever existed. As for Naruto, he stood on the dividing line between, which made her deplorable, but also feel safe.

And now she knew Uchiha Sasuke is an exception, and a threat. She told herself so, but there was a strange taste rising from the alarm. It felt like acid, sweet or bitter, and it gave her no choice but to lower her head to avoid that black, sharp eyes.

They walked together in the forest path slowly. Sasuke was in front, and Hinata followed behind several meters away, with her geta knocking gently on the stony road. She dared not even talk to Sasuke, pursing her Rouged lips, staring at his shadow.

The sun dyed the ground into a beautiful golden, slanted his shadow into a long and lean shape. It steadily kept a step away from her, as silent as Sasuke himself.

She suddenly sensed this man's loneliness, making her sad. But he enjoyed this loneliness so much, making her envy instead.

Hinata was as quiet as vanished, but Sasuke knew she was there because of the sound of geta. Her quiet was a good news since it saved his effort for not talking any communicative nonsense. Although he had to match with her snail-like pace, he would not blame it this time, for the sake of delightful forest morning.

Her walking should had been graceful and neat like any lady from an ancient family, but actually it became very clumsy due to her stiff arm. And he should had been worried about his friend's wife, or at least didn't care at all, but it was really kind of funny to him.

When they arrived at the school gate, Boruto and Sarada were quarreling with each other loudly. Himawari was caught in the middle, swing her little white hand, busy doing her mediation. Behind the kids there stood Naruto and Sakura. Naruto was saying something to Sakura with a bright smile, and Sakura rolled her eyes to him, but that pretty face was also filled with pleasure.

Sasuke had already got used to the comedy between Naruto and Sakura. It was quite like a warm riff in his icy life. Sometimes it was annoying, but he was actually accustomed. Therefore, there revealed a mild expression on his always-been-armed handsome face.

And the Hinata standing by his side seemed to get used to it as well. Her smile was a camouflage, melting the real emotion of joy or sorrow into a mild peace.


	10. Chapter 9

09

Himawari was the first one found Sasuke and Hinata. She ran toward Hinata and her warm little head plunged into Hinata's arms joyfully, "Mom! I miss you so much!"

Hinata smiled and holds her tight, stroking her hair, "I heard from your aunt Hanabi that our Himawari is going to be the leading actress in the theater today. How can I miss that?"

"When did you go to aunt's home?" Himawari asked in surprise, "Boruto and I visited her twice these days, but we didn't see you there! "

"Well, I only went there one time, because I have lots of construction work to do. You and Boruto should come to my hut someday, there are many cute animals and flowers on the mountains." Hinata took out a pine-cone rose, "Here, it's for you, my sweetie."

Sasuke frowned, watching her using the left arm smoothly and naturally. It should be painful and hard to move in every way, but she kept talking nonsense about flowers. Seriously, what in the world can flowers do to solve her problem?

Sakura and Naruto came over soon. Naruto wanted to say hello, but Sakura gave him an elbow punch immediately. It was absolutely hurtful, making him bend down and groan. Then Sakura took Hinata's arm, "Hinata, so glad to see you here! Today, let us two together and stay away from these pesky men!" After saying that, she looked up at Sasuke, "Sasuke, you didn't bully Hinata, did you?""

Sasuke was lacking in patience to her insipid question, but he did find it interesting somehow: Sakura can be jealous even when she heard women talking about him in the street, and now Hinata lives next door, she doesn't mind at all. Women are really strange.

"Good morning, Naruto." Hinata smiled at her husband, walking away from Sakura and went up to him, standing behind just like the good wife in the past.

Sakura made a way for both of them to break the ice on purpose, so she had to accept this kindness. Besides, Sasuke and Sakura hadn't seen each other for a long time, it would be too unreasonable if she really interrupted their date.

Sakura relieved just as Hinata expected, and the bright smile on her beautiful face showed the same happy vigor as her girlhood. "So what are we waiting for? Let's go! We get a tight schedule today! First we Hanami, then go to the market, and in the evening there is the theater starred by Himawari and Sarada!"

Boruto was excited hearing all the activities when he suddenly it reminded him that someone had to videotape. He turned to Naruto, "Dad, don't you bring the video recorder? It's time to do your honorable duty!"

"Eh?!" Naruto groaned with a bitter face, then took the video recorder out of his bag. It really didn't fit in with his active personality to hold anything without moving. "But daddy wants to play around, too...I want a REAL day off without duty...! "

Hinata looked at this two kids, smiled, then reached out the right hand to Naruto, "Give it to me. I'll do the video today."

Naruto was overjoyed, hurried to hand the video recorder to her. It was always been Hinata, who is careful and quiet, doing this recording job.

Suddenly, his ass got a severe kick.

This attack was too sharp to avoid, almost knocked Naruto on the ground. He angrily turned back, cried to that black-eye man who seems like never did nothing just now, "Sasuke, are you crazy?!"

Sasuke eyed him with a expression of pity, closing his mouth tightly.

"Hinata," Naruto patted the footprints on his hips, while giving the recorder to Hinata again, "Take care Hinata, don't let that bastard break it down..."

Even before Hinata's fingertips can touch the recorder, Sasuke kicked Naruto again, with a more fierce strength.

Now the golden-hair man was completely pissed off, clamoring to duel with this bastard. Sasuke faced his rage with a consistently coldness, without any explanation. Sakura rolled her eyes, walking up to this two primary school students to preach. Sarada helped Naruto protesting against his father, Himawari can't find a way out so only to smile, and Boruto was busy admiring his Sensei, "Why is he always so cool!"

With a group of people making a terrible racket around, Sasuke started to feel great headache, knitting his brows, looking at Hinata who stay away from all these noises. The whole thing went there is like a play, in which everyone acted their own character, and she was an audience watching quietly, never got a position on the stage.

Hinata found Sasuke's looking at her, so she nodded gently with gratitude. But there revealed an apologetic smile on her face, looking like a silent but self-evident dissuasion.

Therefore, Sasuke suddenly found his behaviour meaningless. WHY bother wasting time to worry about someone else's wife and her damn arm? She herself doesn't care anyway!

His chest was full of anger, "Shut up!"

This unfriendly demand was actually not too severe, but showed a strong power when it came from a man of indifference, so they all shut up immediately. Tongue-tied.

Sasuke snorted coldly, walking his own way forward, only left Naruto feeling muddled, "H-how dare this guy become angrier than me?! I thought I was the one got kicked!"

Hinata smiled a little as a reply, then took over the recorder from his hand.

The sky was particularly blue and sunny after a spring rain. All kinds of stalls jostled with one another, almost blocking the streets nearby. On the both sides, there were full of colorful candy, toys, small games and crowds of mirth. Kids were all thrilled, running here and there. Sakura broke a boxing game playground, and Naruto tried a wig with two long ponytails. Hinata was absorbed in recording, following them in a helter-skelter way.

By this time, Boruto left the viewfinder, so she shifted the recorder to the other hand hastily. Before she could realize the mistake, a sharp sting attacked her.

Hinata can't help but to loosen her grip, and the tiny machine was going to break on the ground.

Suddenly, there stretched out a big hand, helping her hold the recorder. Then she heard an apathetic voice, "Be careful."

Sasuke's hand had long, beautiful fingers and trim nails, callused because of the Katon Ninjyustu practices. It was as cool as his voice, even in the sun.

One second later, the hand was taken back. The man returned to his lonely and free world, leaving her in the taste of acid, sweet, or bitter. With misty white eyes, she stared at her husband's wide back in the viewfinder, biting her lips, murmuring in her heart -

He is an exception, and a threat.


	11. Chapter 10

10

At a perfect spot on admiring Sakura blossom, Himawari helped to spread blanket on the ground, Naruto pulled out the lunch boxes from his backpack, then Boruto put them on the blanket. These things were all done by Hinata in the past, but Naruto now had to squeeze time out for chores and kids by himself. Although he looked quite clumsy, this family of three was very enjoying themselves together. The former workaholic Hokage neglecting his family totally disappeared.

Hinata recorded the scene carefully. Through the viewfinder, she can see Naruto's hearty smile and occasional clumsy, exactly the same as his younger age. That was a boy of sunshine to her dismal life.

On the other side, Sakura also took out her food. Due to her busy job, she liked meals in Western style: simple, fast and easy to do. So there appeared some sandwiches and toast on the blanket. Compositions cooked by Naruto is actually quite similar with hers, though really crude and broken.

Sasuke preferred Japanese cuisine, so he just ignored the food and admires Sakura wholeheartedly. Sakura flowers resembled pink clouds floating in the blue sky, dancing with the wind, shedding a petal rain. Surrounded by the bustling people, the flower still kept a noble and refreshing tranquility.

Sasuke didn't like crowds, regarding them mostly as noisy, shallow creatures chasing for their own interests. The traveling experience in previous years gave him a deeper understanding of the beauty of nature, especially its transience. Fugacious flowers and capricious moon, he found them beautiful because they were always doomed to wither away.

Weirdly, Hinata seemed to have no appetite as well, sitting quietly, smiling at Naruto who persuaded her to eat more.

"Oh, dad, stop it." Boruto said with his mouth full of beef sandwich, "mom doesn't really eat over the past few years, I guess she gets a stomach of bird somewhere to keep slim!"

Sakura left Sarada's side slightly, leaning her shoulder against Sasuke's arm, smiling in a hint of shyness: "Sasuke, see all these Sakura!...Don't you think it's beautiful?"

Sasuke felt her covered-up pun very boring. It was hard for him to understand why women love to ask questions with which there were already presupposed answers. If he was still the former Sasuke, he must sneer at it. But as growing older, he gradually mastered a trick that could avoid any further trouble with a minimal compromise. "Hmm."

After a meal under the Sakura trees, three kids went to the small theater to prepare the drama. Parents followed, planning to grab some front row seats. However, when they arrived, there had been few seats and little good view.

With the dignity of Hokage, Naruto finally found four seats of the front row. Hinata, who was in charge of recording, sat in the fore seat, and the other three sit behind her.

The play was an adaptation of the famous fairy tale "the daughter of the sea", and all the performance was done by Ninjyustu. The prince was Uchiha Sarada elected by all the girls unanimously, and the little mermaid was Uzumaki Himawari who drew the lucky straw. Boruto was very dissatisfied with this assignation, claiming to be the protagonist, but eventually stood on the stage and played the role of a rock.

The first half of the play complied with the original story, but at the end everything changed. The little mermaid fought against her sisters but failed, and the prince dashed out of the door, successfully defeated the witch. He felt so gratitude to the little mermaid's sacrifice that he finally left his fiancee and married her. This change apparently fitted in the taste of the majority, so when the play ended in a grand wedding, all the performers received the standing ovation from all the audience. People's enthusiastic cheers almost broke the roof.

All the actors soon walked out to answer the curtain call, Boruto and his classmates took off the costumes, stood in front with Sarada and Himawari to accept everyone's applause. It was their last day at school. Tomorrow they were going to graduate and went into society, not carefree kids anymore.

Naruto and Sakura stood up, clapping their hands. In a deafening noise, Naruto laughed with joy, shouted to Sakura by his side, "if Himawari were to marry a boy like Sarada in the future! I'll be very gratified!"

Sakura smiled proudly. As for Sasuke, though he got upset because of the noisy and boring story, when looking at his growing, valiant daughter on the stage, he also felt proud in his heart: After all, She is a daughter of Uchiha, surely would be extraordinary.

At this moment, everyone seemed to be happy, but Sasuke happened to catch the expression of Hinata from the corner of his eye.

The screen lighted up her face a little, and her tear stains, too. Hinata stared at her young daughter who inherited Hyuga's bloodline, with a pair of white eyes filled with unspeakable sadness. She was sobbing but nobody heard. Maybe she cried for a reincarnation of herself.

That should have been a secret that nobody should ever see. But willing or not, he did peep at it. He found himself an exception accidentally, in this immense world, in this long, hard life.

The theater was empty after show, Sasuke said a few words to Sarada and immediately left. Sakura felt reluctant to let go, but through these years, she knew that it was not wise to pushing too hard. So she didn't delay him, went back home with Sarada.

Now there were only Uzumaki family staying at the theatre gate. Boruto grabbed the camera happily in order to review his performance, even more excited than the star Himawari. He fasted forward the tape hastily, suddenly asked in surprise, "Mom, why is there not any sound when curtain call?"

Hinata was smoothing Himawari's collar when she heard Boruto's question. She paused a little and smiled. "Er... Maybe it was I touched the mute button by mistake."

Naruto came up and stood beside her. It was hard to tell from his expression whether he was trying to say something or swallow them back. It was really awkward considering his outspoken personality.

Hinata smoothed Himawari's collar, then stepped back, bowing slightly to Naruto,"Naruto, I'm going back now."

It was certainly not a "going back" to Uzumaki's house. Naruto immediately stepped up,"Let me escort you!"

"Thank you." She smiled. That's her own special way to refuse, filled with modest politeness, and a kind of unspoken pressure.

Naruto baffled a little, only to reply, "well then...be careful with your way."

Hinata was not unhappy about his easy retreat at all, showing a weirdly gentle smile. It was almost like that she had foreseen it. After all, she might be the one that understood him most in the whole world.

Watching his mother bowed and left alone, Boruto complained angrily,"Dad, are you lost your mind? That should be your perfect chance to detain mom!"

Naruto kept his silence with a bitter smile. Wasn't there a tiny voice telling him about how to behave "correctly"? But he couldn't find a way to follow in the end. He'd been used to taking one step up and receiving the kindness she walked ninety-nine to give, so when she abruptly receded, he became lame facing her.

She walked on the path at night.

There was not a thing but the rustle of the trees on both sides, but she still walked with graceful steps and impeccable gesture, clenching her fists, regardless of the pain of the left arm. It seemed like an opposition in vain.

Hinata thought of something in her mind, gathering her bravery. When she was about to arrive home, when she looked down at her shadows, the shadow of Sasuke attacked her mind suddenly, even made her dazed a little.

Then she looked up again, end up seeing a tall silhouette under the tree at the junction.

Black hair, black eyes, wearing a black coat. He was immersing in the freedom of darkness and coldness, out of anyone's domination.

\- Uchiha Sasuke.

These two words sounded like a faraway suspire, whispering in her heart. His forceful black seared into her white eyes like a blaze.

There was a taste of a sour, sweet or bitter overwhelmingly hit her, with the pain that was always getting bigger at night, making her bleeding inside.

From past to now, she had been cultivating her endurance with her own life being the best teacher. She thought that there was nothing can't be endured. By birth to death, it's just like an ephemera living its ksana life. But at this moment, she suddenly felt unable to bear. She can bear no more, even her footsteps start to stagger.

Hinata knelt on the ground sweating, in front of Sasuke, like a fatigued flower wet with dew. She covered her pale lips with purple kimono cuffs, coughed weakly, and on the satin there is a piece of russetish bloodstain.


	12. Chapter 11

11

When Sasuke returned home, he planned to go to bed straightly. But something wedged in heart changed his mind.

He became orphaned since childhood, suffered many adversities during growing up, so turned out to be an outsider lack of social coordination and compliance. Thanks to it, he gained a sharp insight to humanity. It would be more than simple to penetrate his best friend. Today, Naruto and Hinata were seemingly in harmony but actually at variance. Perhaps between them it was not simply the couple quarrel or temporary discord, but something too difficult to get over. Meanwhile, Naruto himself seemed relaxed so much that even his family automospher improved.

Thought about this, Sasuke could not help sighing. But marriage to himself was a kind of forced but absurd relationship, he was even too lazy to preserve his own marriage, not mention to caring about others'. Moreover, the intrinsic nature of Naruto was similar to his anyway. They were both not the family tape willing to spend time for trifles.

In the pond outside, the light rippling in the breeze, the water lily quietly blossomed. It seemed that no matter what happens, she would only stay at her quiet status abidingly. Sasuke watched the flowers for a long time, and got up suddenly, walked out of the room.

It's a bit stuffy inside, so I might as well take a walk.

As speaking to himself, he stopped on the doorway road, looking at the empty cabin. A feeling of displeased came from nowhere to his chest, compelling him to walk to the intersection of forest path.

When arrived, he stood there, feeling his behavior very suspicious, so turned to go back. But after a bit hesitation, he finally stayed at the former place.

In the shade of the tree, there was neither the moon nor the night scenery to enjoy.

Sasuke felt a little annoyed suddenly: Himself, Uchiha Sasuke, has always been free and only followed his own heart. As long as he determined, there was no one could stop. But these procrastinations and indecision just came from nowhere and every direction. Where went his composed?

At this moment, from the other side of the path, from the rustling of leaves, there came the sound of geta, gently knocking the gravel.

He felt his heart agitated a little. The nearer footsteps sounded as clear as linking with his eardrums and his nerve.

Sasuke didn't really expect she would come back. He looked up in slightly surprise, just right to meet with her pearl white eyes. Under the shroud of dark shadows, her eyes were like two white burning fires, kindling a provocative heat in his cold heart. 

Sasuke couldn't find the right words, so he just stood there with his mouth shut as usual. But she fell down on the ground one second later, spitted up blood. 

He almost immediately rushed over. --This woman is really bad for health.

After approached, he looked at the blood on her sleeve and her ashen face, can not help but to frown tightly. "...You need to see Sakura right now."

Hinata sat on the ground lowering her head

She cleaned her bloodstained lips, then hid her hands back into her obi belt, biting her lips, shook her head.

This sort of perversely children behavior inexplicably  made him angry. He stared at her, with the cold eyes like knifes, "If you're sick, you have to see the doctor."

Sasuke was very tall, and now he stood in front of her condescendingly, naturally becoming more threatening. Pressed by his black eyes, she was reluctant but only to speak, "I ... I've seen the doctor long before."

She probably evolved from a perversely child to a lying child. Sasuke was impervious to her arguments, coldly looking at her, "Then what? Why didn't you get cured?"

Hinata's shoulders shook a little. His question was simple and sharp as a gust of wind, making her eyelashes quiver like a frightened little bird. Thought for a long time, she closed her eyes and takes a deep breath.

When she opened her eyes again, there disappeared all the panic and fear in the white eyes, only left a dead calm. Somehow, that calm made Sasuke displeased.

But she did not care about his pleased or not, replied every single word slowly, "Because it is incurable."

Her soft answer exploded to his ear like a thunder.

Sasuke yet reeled from the lightning, all the mysterious fragments of the past got clear, clearly presented those antecedents and consequences in front. His quick and invulnerable logical thinking, forged by the ruthless life, worked perfectly at this time. In all the blank, the first thought came out was an interrogative: "why?" - why, with this woman who he had never been close to or talked with, can he understand her thoughts so well?

\-- Understand this silent, stubborn, willful woman damn well.

"You," Sasuke took a deep breath, but still couldn't defeat the suffocated feeling. "you left home because of the disease." His vocal cords trembled in a way he himself never expected.

It was a declarative sentence, like a verdict that came to her after all.

As the criminal in her dock, Hyuga Hinata closed her eyes vacantly again after the decree.

In the long silence, Hinata gazed at the darkness inside her eyelids silently, listening to his breath subsided from furiousness till it bacame unbearable. He was not her husband, but brought joy and sorrow to her ashes like heart. She knew that he would be a threat to her secret. She knew that she should have run away from this man with evil black eyes.

Finally, his voice sounded in the unpredictable spring night, without any slightest emotion,

"You want to die alone, it's none of my business. Just make sure you won't die at my door."

Hinata still firmly closed her eyes, didn't look at his leaving figure, clenching her fingers. The hard and icy gravel made her legs numb.

In the unpredictable spring, there would be one or two flowers withered away ineluctably.


	13. Chapter 12

12

Hinata finally went back to the cabin.

She was not nowhere to go. She was a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother. If she just wanted somewhere to keep out wind and rain, there would be too many. However, in this vast world, after taking off all the burdens and titles, the only place belonged to "Hyuga Hinata" was nowhere but this crude cabin built by herself. It was her only "home".

At dawn, there were birds jugging in the trees. She was still lying on her bed, with face tiredly burying in the quilt borrowed from Uchiha, feeling too tired to cheer up. In the past, she always gave herself some pep to fix her house better, to wipe the dust on the beams, or check on the glass windows for its solidarity.

But today, she didn't want to force herself at all. Anyway, people will die, and the house someday will be torn down.

What's the meaning? None.

Outside the room, there suddenly rustled somebody's footsteps on the grass. She didn't bother to care. The insulation here was bad, so one or two hares and sparrows outside were not unusual.

The footsteps stopped at her window. After a moment, a stream of piercing chakra emanated from there, following a sound of crackling wood.

Hinata got irritated, "...What are you doing?" Her muffled voice came out from the quilt, with a bit anger that she was taught to hide all the time. But screw it.

Another sound of wood. Then the man said plainly, "I'm making a window sill."

Hinata bit her lips, narrowed her white eyes, feeling them aching a little, "I don't need you window sill. Go away!"

Sasuke's chakra got no disorder at all. He was still there, with the rustle of shaving wood, using that very magnetic yet annoying voice, answered confidently: "I guess this land doesn't belong to you, even if I make the window sill here, you'll be alright anyway, won't you?"

This rascal made Hinata dumbstruck. She completely forgot that his words were quoted from herself, sitting up angrily, glaring at him, "Y-you are totally insane!"

Across this unduly wide window, she glared at him, but he is not angry at all. With those handsome black eyes Sasuke looked back quietly. There were some soft feelings vaguely revealing on his proud face.

Because of this surprise attack, she dazed, too afraid to define his expression as anything. Anything appeared in the bottom of her heart right now could cause some kind of irreversible change. So, she had to stare back stubbornly, until her white eyes started to dry and almost dropped tears. To hide the embarrassment, she quickly leaned her forehead on knees, wiping the tears with the quilt.

The sun gradually brightened the forest. Sasuke sat down on her wooden doorsteps, with a knife in his hand, and the piece of wood sandwiched between two knees. He whittled it patiently, waiting for her words.

"I didn't mean to build my home in front of yours..." From the door came her soft voice with a little nasal sound, "it's...it's your house deliberately in front of mine."

"Hmm." Sasuke answered by throating with a bit laughter.

"I didn't mean to go into your house. Hmm..." she throated imitating him, "It's you asking me to come in."

"Hmm." He was whittling the corner of the window sill carefully.

"I..I..." Hinata stammered for a moment. She had never been so self-willed in her whole life. And now it was too hard for her to find any complain more outrageous to say, only to continue with a little depression. "I don't need your window sill."

"If you don't need it," he replied banteringly, "why don't you make one by yourself? Now you left it unfinished, obviously to remind me."

"..." Hinata felt speechless. Competing debate with him, she had no chance to win at all.

Sasuke knew she admitted the defeat. Her little failure made him oddly pleased. On that habitually cold face , there revealed a gentle smile.

"I hope..."

suddenly, she said with a mild tone, "I hope you can keep the secret for me, Sasuke kun. I have my own reason."

His hand paused a little. "Like I said, it's none of my business."

"..." she smiled, "Thank you."

He continued to shaving that piece of wood, though it had been perfectly finished. Some kind of depression hid in the depths of his obsidian eyes. Secrets and reasons, two words harassed him for half of his life, and seemed to haunt forever like ghosts.

"So..." he finally asked, "What is your disease?"

The air suddenly quieted. After a long time, the woman in the door answered lightly, "liver cancer, terminal stage."

Sasuke put down his knife and looked across the boundless sky, watching something fateful, "...Hmm."

This single syllable was of a little suffocation, sounded like a sigh that eventually repressed back.


	14. Chapter 13

13

Since then, they lived in their own homes peacefully. Sunrise and sunset, a few days passed.

The window sill made by Sasuke perfectly matched with Hinata's unduly-wide window when mounted. Hinata came out of the door, looked at it, suddenly felt angry with herself. They fitted in with each other too perfect to deny the banter Sasuke told before. - But was it denied or not? She lowered her eyes, with her ten fingers twisted together. She dared not to see it again.

Tired of filling her head with nonsense, she hurried up to find some chores to do. For example, go shopping at the small market near the mountain.

She walked out of the door, Sasuke happened to come out from his house as well. She bowed slightly. "Good afternoon, Sasuke kun. Are you going out, too?"

Aware of her basket carrying in hand and her fine pattern kimono, Sasuke nodded: "Come." Then he turned to the path, walking forward, behaving like that she would follow his lead like a lamb. After that day, Sasuke kept his promise and never spoke out her secret. He actually didn't change at all, treating her with this normal attitude - not friendly nor cold.

She was a little surprised with his invitation, but quickly followed up.

"Sasuke kun need to eat as well..." she thought in heart. Somehow, she seemed to have subconsciously regarded Uchiha Sasuke as some kind of creature that could survive by drinking air.

They walked together. Hinata followed behind Sasuke, not far nor close. Sun rose high, so she could not see the shadow of Sasuke in her sight like usual, only to stare at her own hands.

Thoughts in her mind drifted away, like a kite in the sky. She loved to steal a little break in her busy life, recollecting those people and pasts that had been gradually forgotten by others. Her childhood, her classmate and mission, her family alive or dead. But the content now was all tied in the man in front of her. Her kite was lacing by his thin, tough string, having no way to break loose.

Their houses were at the remote edge of Konoha. There was only one small store nearby. The owner was an old man called Iwagan san, an elder man seemed to wince to every customer with his face of boredom and weird temper. The deeper his wrinkles became, the fewer goods there were on the shelf, and those scarce goods alternated only by his instantly caprice.

Hinata had been to the store for three or four times. When entering the store today, she smiled and bowed: "Iwagan san, how are you?"

Iwagan san sat in the counter, satisfied with her fine manners, answered in a nasal voice, "Hum."

Sasuke had known Iwagan san for a long time. They two got along well in a sense. He nodded as greeting. Iwagan san glanced at his handsome face, answering with a nasal voice once again, though more annoyed: "Humph!"

Hinata quickly lowered her head. It would be rude if she couldn't withhold her smile: This grandpa is really bold to be so outright when facing the most powerful and dangerous Ninja of Konoha. Who knows? Maybe he would even greet with his upset twang to Rikudō Sennin.

Hinata bought some fruit and ready-made Wagashi as usual. Since her illness, she had been eating less. Moreover, it is inconvenient and unnecessary to cook in her cabin.

Then she turned her head, found Sasuke carrying a bag of potatoes and a bottle of wine.

"Sasuke kun, are you going to cook potatoes?" Hinata asked in surprise.

She immediately regretted her question. Because this store today only sold potatoes and apples, so naturally he can only cook potatoes. Her question was too silly to be asked out.

It was just... hard to imagine the scene in which Sasuke cooking potatoes in the kitchen... Well, she hoped Sasuke kun doesn't recognize the meaning of her words.

However, her wish was apparently in vain. Sasuke raised his eyebrow, staring at her with his handsome and cold eyes till her face flushed. Hinata lowered her white eyes dodging him, but there was really no place for her to flee.

It was a long time before he removed the flustering gaze and said, "then you shall cook."

"M-me?" Her eyes opened up again.

As for the surprise in her beautiful eyes, he chose to ignore, "I heard you are a great cook."

Then he turned to the outside, showing a kind of confident that she certainly would follow up, and ended up cooking meals in his house.

Hinata hurriedly paid the money, took a bow, then turned back to find Sasuke. With his long legs, Sasuke walked away quiet far in only half a minute. But when hearing the wooden geta tapping on the path, he slowed down his pace. Hinata quickly caught up, walking behind him like always.

While walking, she got somewhat annoyed: He is too overbearing. How-how can he act like everyone would obey him as a lamb?

"..."

Finally, hinata stood in his kitchen, tied up her kimono sleeves and washed her hands, sulking with herself.

-Well, she did obey like a lamb. But -she weakly objected to herself in heart - it's not out of my free will... not at all!


	15. Chapter 14

14

In front of Sasuke，there was a potato beef stew and a bowl of crystal-white rice on the table, streaming appetizing smell. a A dish of thin-cut green Wakame was the garnish.

Hinata knelt by the table, lowered her head, slightly lifting her white eyes, peeping on the man across the hot steam. His face is indistinct, so it's difficult for her to recognize his expression.

Suddenly got in charge of cooking, she searched in his deserted and empty kitchen everywhere, yet all the traditional cuisine she was good at were unable to cook due to the lack of ingredient. Finally, she had to serve a home cooking, which nearly came to impolite.

Sasuke did not move his chopsticks for a long time. She got some sense of loss, comforting herself with a wry smile. But after this long pause, Sasuke suddenly took the bowl and began to eat without any word.

Hinata finally see his face clearly. It's still a typical Uchiha's cool face as usual. She feels at ease somehow: his cool face could be regarded as a safe signal.

Hinata had no intention of eating, Sasuke found it but didn't do any persuasion, chewing the juicy cubes of beef in his mouth.

He remembered that Sakura always catered to his preference though she was actually a Western food type. Once she got a chance to his house, she'd muster the strength to challenge difficult dishes such as Kaiseki, which would end up failure every time. - She had been trying so hard, but he never accepted or expected.

But this stew was different. It was a home cooking that Uchiha Mikoto used to cook a lot. Time fleeted, he didn't taste it once again until decades later today.

He looked over the bowl steadily to the quiet woman. She put her slender fingers on the edge of the table, lowers her chin slightly, staring at those white fingertips absently, wondering something that he can't infer. The Shoji paper door opened a half, so sunlight came in from the courtyard, floating down on one side of her hair, lighting up the fine heraldry pattern on her pale purple kimono.

"Tweet."

A bird's chirping brazenly broke the peace.

A sparrow suddenly swept across the kamoi roof beam, landed on the table, flapping its wings, perhaps attracted by the food's flavor. It wagged its tiny head, swaggered a few steps, stood by Hinata's bowl and began to peck at the rice.

"Ah," Hinata looked at it in surprise, smiling. "A little sparrow, how cute! Are you hungry, too?"

She was happy with the bird, Sasuke therefore generously ignored her word "too".

Since that day, they two seemed to reach a tacit understanding. Every day when it was time for meal, she would come to Sasuke's house and cook. They sat at the table, sometimes chatting, sometimes just spending leisure time without any word. Either way, it was pleasant for both of them.

The only thing that bothered Hinata was a returned headache job - washing dishes.

Interestingly, she received a strict traditional education, mastering all the things that girls should grasp, except this one. When she was unwed, there were servants to clear everything away. After marriage she lost her daughter's privilege naturally. Fortunately, her little daughter Himawari had a sensible disposition so often came to help her.

Now, Hinata was worrying in front of the kitchen sink again, hesitating to put her hands in water.

Sasuke came over to pick up the warmed Saka, seeing her standing alone in a daze and frowning, as if she was facing with a great difficulty. He picked his eyebrow: "what's the matter?"

She almost grabbed the dishcloth unconsciously, covering her thoughts with flurried answer: "no, nothing at all!" But defeated by his sharp, black eyes eventually, she put the dishcloth down, twisted her fingers together, "I'm just...err...I don't really want to...wash dishes."

As soon as the answer leaked out of her mouth, Hinata wanted to hold her face and scream: Gosh!

She remembered Naruto used to ask the same question in the same situation at the start of their marriage, and she answered fluently and gently with a smile: nothing at all, Naruto kun. Please go to rest, I'll finish it soon.

But now! How could she become so honest with this Uchiha Sasuke, a man she's not familiar until recently! Gosh! She grew up learning patience and forbearance, never got pampered. How could all her virtues never work in front of him!

Accompanied by a series of exclamatory marks in heart, her delicate face, which often armed by gentle smile, revealed a girlish defenseless look, but she is not aware at all.

A delighted glimmer showed in Sasuke's melancholy black eyes. He enjoyed her fluster for a while, then said, "Well, I get a solution for you."

Hinata found herself committing gaffe, hurriedly lifted her hand to smooth the hair on temple, lowering her head, "Plea...please tell me, Sasuke kun." Her voice was as small as from a mosquito.

He put the wine bottle back to the table, said with a cool voice, "Rock, paper, scissors."

"..."

Hinata cannot find a reply for a long time.

He was regarded as a super bad guy by almost everyone, and now at least she agreed with the bad part about telling jokes.

"Tweet."

The sparrow came in again.

Recently it was Sasuke's uninvited but accepted guest, so became bolder than ever. At this time it actually fell by his hand's side, pecked a sesame from the dish of egg tofu, which is made for Sasuke by Hinata. It staring at them both with its small blackbean-like eyes, like a child observing his parents.


	16. Chapter 15

From the author: Thanks for everyone that encouraged me in the reviews! I will insist to translate this fanfic and ignore all those haters!15

This evening, Uzumaki Himawari came to visit Hinata alone.

Boruto had a flaming row with Naruto before leaving, swore never talked with him again until he brought Hinata back. Himawari remained neutral in their quarrel. Since her elder brother graduated and left home for mission, Himawari became lonelier than ever, but she didn't put forward the request of meeting with mother concerning about Naruto's feeling. Intending to make up for her, Naruto started to go home as often as possible, though Himawari's introverted personality estranged her from her father.

It happened that Naruto was too busy to take care of her recently, so she waived her worries and went to Hinata's mountain happily, looking for her mother whom she hadn't seen for more than a month.

According to the map from Sarada, she passed through the forest trail, turned out to see a small and delicate cabin, completely her mother's style. Taking a closer look, she found it dark inside, but the Uchiha's house was lighted with warm orange.

Sasuke's door on the courtyard wall never shut down, and Himawari, unlike Hinata, wasn't raised up by a variety of binding rules after all, so she ventured to enter the house, in order to give her mother a surprise.

However, as soon as she opened the door of the house, she was taken by the confusing scene in front.

On the opposite of Byobu screen, there stood Sasuke and her mother. Sasuke put out his only arm, coiling his fist, posing a strange gesture. He seemed to be bored, or actually engrossed. And her mother Hinata twisted ten fingers together, frowning like she's preoccupied with serious issues.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Observed a little while, Himawari still can't understand what happened here.

Hinata turned her head in surprise, then saw her dear daughter standing at the entrance. "Himawari! When did you come here?" She wanted to hug Himawari, but her face, even her ears, suddenly blushed with rose. She hurried to extend two fingers to Sasuke's fist, then fleet into the corridor, "Himawari, I, I'll go get you some desserts!"

She was like a chaste girl whose tryst was penetrated by chance, running away like a rabbit, leaving merely two unrelated people together.

"Come on in, it's cold outside." Sasuke gave her a glance as a greeting.

Himawari bowed to him politely, then took off her shoes and arranged them neatly. "Sasuke san, what were you doing just now?"

Sasuke watched the corridor behind a little, as if eyeing Hinata's flurried figure, "It's rock, paper,scissors."

"..." Himawari got no word for their strange activity, "what for?"

Sasuke turned a corner, taking her from the porch to the Washitsu inside. Himawari raised her head, looking at his broad shoulders, while his cool voice floating down from high above with a little banter, "The loser will do the dishes tonight."

Because of Himawari, Hinata said goodnight to Sasuke earlier than usual, then took her daughter back to her cabin.

Himawari put on her pajamas, plunged into the white, soft bed. There was a kind of flower scent, not perfume or cologne, but naturally produced by Hinata's body. It accompanied Himawari since infancy, so she felt particularly happy when sniffed it up again.

Hinata loosened her hair, opened the quilt, then laid down with Himawari together. She reached out her arm and held her little daughter. "Himawari, I haven't seen you for more than a month... You let your hair grow, don't you?"

"I think the long hair looks pretty. I hope to be just like you, mom."

"..." Hinata raised her hand, gently combing Himawari's hair with fingertips. "It must be beautiful if Himawari wears long hair." she paused for a moment, then sighed, "But I hope Himawari could not be like me."

In her voice, there is a deep sentiment making Himawari sorrow, too: "...Why?"

Hinata frowned slightly, holding her tight, giving an irrelevant answer: "Your brother, though naughty, I won't worry about him much. I worry you more, my sweetie. You need to confront too many things in the future, just because you're born as a girl. People may regard it lucky, but only I can tell... it's not. "

Himawari stayed silent for a moment. Although she was still very young, she seemed to have understood Hinata's abstruse words. So she patted her mother's back like a comfort, and replied seriously, "Let it be, mom. I'm not afraid of them."

Hinata surprised, then lingered a gentle smile, "Sure, I see. Himawari is not like me at all."

"Mom..." Himawari hid her head to Hinata's chests, grabbing her clothes on the back, hesitated for a moment, asked timidly, "I guess you... you do not love daddy any more?"

Hinata closed her eyes, and Naruto's face vividly emerged from the darkness, bright enough to make her eye sore. He shined permanently like a star in her sky: "No... I love him very much since I was a child."

Himawari closed her eyes as well, summoning up her courage, "So what's the reason you're angry for? Is that because dad doesn't love you?""

Hinata smiled in surprise for these abrupt "love" questions. However, Himawari's two little hands clutching her clothes made her inexplicably sad instead. She answered with the voice like sighing, "Actually, I am afraid there is no one in the world that your father won't love, isn't it? That's his greatest virtue. I just feel sorry to him. I feel guilty about... everything."

Himawari listened to her repressed sigh, suddenly felt some kind of annoyed, going into a pout, "Mom, you are wrong thinking in this way."

Hinata smiled, ignoring the tingling in heart. "Sure, my Himawari is right."

Himawari inherited from her mother's shallow sleep and musing personality. After chatted, she tossed in bed for a whole night, and woke up earlier than Hinata in dawn.

Quietly moving Hinata's arm away, she jumped out of bed, changed her clothes, then walked out of the cabin door. The air of morning forest was cool and refreshing. When the leaves were crushed, the liquid smelled very brisk. Himawari stepped over the lawn to Sasuke's house straightly.

Sasuke was sitting in the corridor opposite the pond, idly sipping a glass of Sake. When heard the childish jumping footsteps, he looked up at Himawari walking down the gravel road. "you get up early."

"Good morning, Sasuke san." Himawari bowed slightly to him. Her courtesy was obviously taught by Hinata.

After greeting, she went under the tree beside the pond, looking at Sasuke with a pair of azure eyes. That pupil color is inherited from Naruto, but her gentle mien completely took after Hinata. Blinking her eyes a little, she suddenly said, "My mother is expert in almost every housework, especially Ikebana and tea ceremony. The only thing she doesn't like is washing dishes. However, dad never knows about it, and mom never tries to tell him."

Sasuke squinted his black eyes. He doesn't reply. In his expression there was no trace of wave, nor disdain her words as childish nonsense. It seemed Sasuke was waiting for her to carry on her thoughts.

But Himawari decided to halt and change her topic: "Sasuke san, is there any tips of your fingers play?"

Sasuke picked up his eyebrow and answered only four words: "I only use rock."

Himawari repressed her laughter, pretending seriously, "Such a bad idea! How can you win if mom knew your choice before play?"

Hearing her question, Sasuke's piercing and cold eyes showed a wisp of warmth, though his voice was still kind of indifferent. "You are wrong. Most of the times, I won."

Himawari couldn't help smiling for the childish game between two adults. The smile on her face slowly rippled away, becoming into a sentimental tenderness, which was too mature for her young age.

Then her eyes fell into the room next to Sasuke. Its decoration was simple and elegant, and in the middle of the room there was a rosewood tea table. On the top of the table, there put two white porcelain cups with water and grains.

A small sparrow stood on the edge of the cup. It was one of the most ordinary birds in the woods, but acted swaggeringly, drinking water in the cup, looking like a prince in its own home.

"Sasuke san," Himawari felt curious, staring at the little animal like all the children would do. "What's that in the room?""

But Sasuke obviously didn't want others to share his pet, rejecting her implication with his cool voice, " It's a sparrow."

"..." All right, all right. Of course Himawari understood what he means: Forget it, this is mine.

After breakfast, Himawari said good-bye to Hinata and Sasuke, ready to go home.

Sasuke stood by the door of his house. When Himawari went out, he suddenly whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "In fact, I don't like washing dishes, either." Then, he winked like playing a practical joke.

Himawari looked up at him in astonishment. On her tender face there finally revealed a childlike expression, which had been constrained for too long. -Who can expect that she would be amused by a man famous for the coldness?

Himawari laughed and bowed to Sasuke, saying every single word softly and slowly, "Sasuke san, I trust you, so please... look after my mother. "


	17. -The part of water lily- Chapter 16

16

For Uchiha Sasuke, eating was a waste of time.

People's life time, besides sleep, was only a few decades, but human spent another majority in chewing and swallowing. It seemed absurd.

But as for Hyuga Hinata, it was the one and only loyal task of her. She therefore managed to improve the food. However, in face of Sasuke's humble, empty kitchen and the only pot, she couldn't help sighing, realizing the old adage that "the cleverest housewife can't cook without rice". It was absolutely necessary for her to add some kitchen utensils herself. Those sold in supermarkets were all inferior, while her old ones in Uzumaki's were not available, either. Finally, she decided to return to Hyuga's mansion to bring out her own kitchen utensils which were often used when she was not married.

This day, she came to Sasuke early in the morning and told him about her plan, describing her trip as "soon-be-back", then went down the mountain alone.

Hyuga's mansion was still the same as her memory. Behind the enclosure there reached out the vigorous branches of old oak trees

They even crossed the ridge of the fence. The ancient gate, wide and heavy, was erect in the oak's shade, remaining its dignified silence, as if never changed.

Her clansmen were surprised but happy to see her. Someone was hurried to notify Hanab .Hinata went through the spacious vestibule, walking into a Washitsu, sitting quietly in this room she's very familiar with. In the past, she was here waiting for her father, Hyuga Hiasshi's interview, and now she was still here waiting for her sister to come.

At this moment, a woman opened the paper door behind Hinata, laughing and greeting, "Nee-san, you haven't been home for a long time!" Her voice wss majestic with years of experience, but now showed a rare joy belongs to a little sister.

Hinata heard her laughter, turned to look at her, smiled as well. "Yes, but home is always home."

"What about your mountain life?" Hanabi sat down beside her, "Is there anything unhappy?"

Hinata smiled. "No, it's greater than I ever expected."

Hanabi and Hinata were both very happy to see each other. They sat down together, recalling the years of their childhood, laughing and talking. Unwittingly, time came to the evening.

"Nee-san," while chatting, Hanabi looed like suddenly calling something to mind, and gave Hinata a naughty wink, "Do you remember the Konpeito we like most when we were young?Someone sent me this sugar a few days ago. Let me get it for you."

Hinata was a little confused by her sudden suggestion, but also felt entertained by her cute childishness.

Hyuga Hanabi, avoiding her sister, walked out of the door. Her smile faded away. She suddenly opened the Biakugan, and the protuberant meridian around eyes made her beautiful face kind of scary,

She stepped out of the corridor along the garden path, towards the corner under a tree, looking up the tree-crown: "I didn't receive any obeisance letter from Uchiha, yet you clan leader already presented. What a surprise! To what do I owe this honor?"

After a moment of silence, from the layers of dense shade, there floated down a man's faint voice: "The honor is not for you."

He got no intention of apology, making her more frustrated. It occurred to her that Sasuke and Naruto were intimates, so sneered, "If you are watching my sister for that bastard Hokage, please save your time and tell him: Hyuga Hinata is much happier now, so don't bother worry!"

"..." After another moment of silence, he opened his mouth again. "Do you really think she is happier than before?"

After Hinata's leaving, Naruto never once came to the mansion of Hyuga Hanabi to apologize. Hanabi had been annoyed for a long time. Now she finally got a chance to lash this Hokage, how can she let it go? "Of course! From the beginning, the half reason that nee-san decided to marry Uzumaki Naruto was to get rid of Cage Bird system; but with your damn friend, nee-san was more constrained than the bird in cage! So, Uchiha Sasuke, please go back and tell your brother to go to hell!"

After a pause, Sasuke hidingin the shade, said indifferently, "Maybe you are very correct, but you should tell him yourself. Or you should stop being so outdated and get a telephone installed as soon as possible."

Then, he suddenly disappeared with his icy chakra together, left Hanabi alone standing under the tree, stamping her foot angrily.

When back to the room, Hanabi's mood got obviously worse. Hinata carefully looked at her cold face, felt it very interesting: Dose her smart and beautiful sister awe the whole Hyuga clan with this unhappy expression?

She could not help smiling: "My Imouto is a lovely little woman and a fierce master. I don't know which man in the world is good enough to you."

Hanabi was still angry, but soon became brighter because of her elder sister's smile. Heard her word, she sighed a little: "Nee-san, we habe talked about this when you decided to marry Uzumaki. My resolution never changed: I will not marry or have children until I can solve the Hyuga clan problem completely... Otherwise, the old tragedy will continue."

"The reason that Hanabi said so..." Hinata watched at her seriousness with a tender smile, "is because you still admire him, right?"

That guy's silhouette passed quickly in her brain, Hanabi bit her teeth. "Why do you think I would like the damned Hokage's footman!" Suddenly realizing herself leaking, she could not help but blush, coughing, "Ahem... Besides, if I have a infant, I must take care of it by my own, then it would be difficult to improve my Ninjutsu."

Hinata felt like to tease her a bit because of her hurriedly excusing, so chuckled: "Why don't you let him marry into Hyuga and take care the baby?"

"Nee-san! Stop it!" Hanabi finally could not hold it, crying with shyness.

Hinata laughed. But it suddenly reminded her that she indeed got no opportunity to practice her own Ninjutsu due to taking care of her children and her husband, so her Jutsu now has only third tenth level than before. What she wanted to pursue, what she wanted to prove to Neji nii-san, all became some empty vows now.

Due to Konohamaru's face lingering, Hanabi also brooded about her own problem: He was Naruto's footman since childhood, and his right-hand man now, may be the new Hokage in the future. Therefore the "marry into Hyuga" joke was nothing but a joke. But if herself got married and left Hyuga clan, who else can really protect and change this family?

Her two immersed in their own thoughts and suddenly quieted down.

The afterglow fell. A dim moon gradually emerged in the sky. On the table, the two cups of nice tea had no one to taste again.


	18. Chapter 17

17

Before leaving the house, Hinata was able to search everywhere in Hyuga's luxury kitchen, wrapping all kinds of kitchen utensils up.

Hanabi sent her to the door, feeling worried,"Nee-san,you should really choose a servant to carry it..."

Hinata gave her a confident smile:"Don't worry. It's only about 200 pounds.You can't think I lost all my strength after marriage, do you?"

She took the big bundle on the back, leaving for the mountain by herself. However, at the corner of the long fence wall, she suddenly stopped.

There was a familiar man in front, idly against the wall. When Hinata came, he jumped up right away. Uzumaki Naruto had been in the prestigious Hokage cloak, but his blushing smile was devoid of any artificial deep, still as pure as youth.

"Hey! You finally come out, Hinata!" Naruto said hello, then hesitant a little, seemed to want to go over to help her taking the package.

Hinata put down the package from her shoulders, standing in front of it, blocking his help, smiling, "Good evening, Naruto. I'm going back now."

Naruto was only to stop awkwardly, coughed, "well...Then let me send you off."

Hinata wanted to decline, but she suddenly found his cloak a little stained by the brick dust. "Were you just... waiting for me here?" In her question there was an obvious surprise.

Naruto revealed a blushing smile again, scratching his face:"I happened to see you walking to Hyuga's house, so I thought it would be nice to wait you here to have some talk with you... That's it."

"But don't you have to work?"Hinata got more surprised.

He thought hard, then smiled, "Well, after the separation, at least now I can see that work won't impeded by only waiting for you."

He never said this kind of words before; on the contrary, he always agreed that family should adjust themselves to accommodate with his work.

So Hinata was moved. But from the moving there grew a deeper sadness. She recalled a flower bud she once saw. It was grown in the late spring, swaying in the wind, leaving nothing but the wish to blossom and the regret of mistime.

While she still thinking, Naruto did a stride jump towards her and robbed her package on his back, laughing happily: "we haven't walk together for a long time. Come with me,Hinata."

"...Sure."Hinata pursed her lips, following behind him meekly.

This was the very typical of their relationship. Naruto used his clumsy but tough sincerity to push their wheels; She followed his steps, scooping a few strands of sweet taste in the long and tranquil years.

But anyway there was something wrong, and the fatal mistake was between them from the beginning.

Naruto, while walking, tried to say something she liked: "I heard Himawari went to see you the other day. Did you have a good time?""

"Pretty good," she stared at his shadow on the ground. "Himawari was happy, too. You can tell Boruto to come with her next time when he comes back from mission."

"Boruto had a fight with me before he left." Naruto smiled wryly. "This kid... You are the only one can deal with him."

Hinata smiled gently:" Boruto has grown-up now, so he wants to be treated like a man. He is irritable sometimes, but he can take care of himself. There is no need to worry."

"You're right. Actually, it was my fault to today's situation with him..."He sighed, paused for a moment, and suddenly took a deep, serious breath, "Hinata, could you come back home? You know, we can't live without you."

She was a little stiff, and her smile immediately disappear. Lowering her head, she bit her lips: "I think...You will be okay."

Heard her words, Naruto showed a gloomy look, whispering: "although I've got used to being alone, Himawari and Boruto need you. The reason why Boruto now causes trouble with me is all for you, Himawari needs a guardian, too. Anyway... Our problems shouldn't implicate the children."

Silent for a moment, Hinata answered gently: "They have to grow up someday and get used of life without me...For example, what if I die one day?"

Naruto stopped and turned back, looking at her with an amused expression. "You're cute silly. That would need too many years."

"Maybe..."She smiled faintly, "Maybe I'll die tomorrow. -- Just like Neji nii-san. Yesterday he stood here by my side, but the next day he just..."

Her words were suddenly interrupted. Naruto grabbed her shoulders with both hands. The smile on his face was replaced by anger:"Why are you talking like this! We have peace now! Don't you know why I work so hard? I'm exactly making everyone, including you, stay alive!! -- Now I see, you mess with me, because you're still blame me for your cousin, don't you?!"

"I..."She looked back at his straightforward blue eyes. He got hurt obviously, but all her emotions still shrouded in the white fog."I'm not."

Naruto was surprised for the sadness on her face. He loosened his fingers, scratching his head impatiently, sighing: "Sorry, my bad... We really shouldn't talk about Neji. Itonly end up a disaster every time."

He was telling the truth. While time passing by, Neji gradually became a sensitive subject between them. His sacrifice was too heavy, too noble, that every time when they really started to bring about him, there must be some intentions or implications coming along together. Intentions arouse resistance, and implications produced misunderstanding. So Hyuga Neji at the end became a harsh footnote of their marriage, which itself was written by an amateur screenwriter, then acted by two poor actors disconnected with each other.

"I didn't blame you for Neji nii-san." She lowered her head and repeated the line mechanically, just like what the script wanted.

Feeling the familiar depression, he bit his teeth, gathering all his patience: "Well, then tell me, what are you thinking about?"

After asking, he stared at his wife's face for an answer. But she closed her mouth again, doing things she had done so many times in the past: Keeping silent.

Naruto just can't help asking God --WHAT kind of person is she, for she has a mouth but never use it to talk?

He was born with a good temper, but did not practice mind-reading. If she refused to communicate, all he could do was to stare at her and scratch his head. It was strange that he can manage to deal with an iron stone like Sasuke and force him to open his mouth, but never found a way to get along with her.

When their relationship was tranquil, he can regard her quiet as a production of strict family education. However, now her silence became a suit of armor, invisible, invulnerable, and frustrating.

Waited for a long time, he finally gave up,pulled out a rope-worn key, took Hinata's hand, slowly tied it on her wrist, sighing: "since you're not at home now, for sake of Himawari's security, I added another lock. Take the key, in case you want to come back."

Hinata blankly stared at his long and dry fingers, found his nails broken. Now that he lived alone, who else would take care of these trivial matters for him?

"Naruto... You always tries to protect everyone."she suddenly moved her fingertips and held his hand, revealing a sad smile on her face."Is everyone the same for you?"

Naruto was happy to feel her touch. He held back and laughed, answering without thinking: "Certainly! Everyone is very important for me!"

Heard such an answer, she still kept her smile."But I think, for you, there must be someone different."

Then,she took back her baggage, turning to leave. Naruto grabs her hand, confusedly and eagerly."You're my wife. Dosen't that mean different'?"

Hinata pulled out her hand, like a lithe fish escaped from the water waves. And her answer was like a mystery, whose answer leaking from her smile and dissipating in the afterglow. "Maybe not now, but you shall realize it one day."

On the way home, Naruto was depressed shuffling. The background of sunset added extra low-spirited automospher to him.

At this time, from the other side of the road came a surprised voice, calling his name: "Naruto! why are you wandering here? I thought you were still at work!"

Before Naruto turned back, the person has already walked over. Her always-strong hand happily hitted on his back, making his face immediately contorted: "Sakura! Are you trying to murder me?! -- Hinata came to see Hanabi today, I took a walk with her just now..."

"So where is Hinata?"

"Um... Hinata has gone, and we had a fight,"he smiled dryly, seeing Sakura's rage soaring, quickly added, "S-so, could our beautiful doctor Sakura give me some advise?"

Sakura gave up the intend to let him taste her fist, put down her hands. But her face still showed an angry look: "Advise for what?"

He looked up at sky, recalling, "Just now, Hinata asked me if I thought everybody was the same for me..."

"...You can't giggle and say, 'of course, everybody is the same in my heart!' Huh?"Sakura rolled her green eyes."A silly man like you! I don't know how you got a wife at first time!"

Naruto gave an embarrassed smile, "Well, but I corrected my statement later, and she was still angry. That can't be my wrong, right?"

"Not only speak it, but in your heart you must feel it! She needs to see your sincerity!" Sakura shoke her head,continue to teach, "woman's intuition is always accurate!"

Naruto scratched his head, feeling confused. "Then... How can I feel it?"

"That's very simple." Sakura laughed, rubbing her sore shoulders due to days of night shifts, "Now, close your eyes, imagine yourself sitting down in the most comfortable and relaxing sofa in your mind..."

Naruto listened to her words, picks his eyebrows, then closing his eyes as her description. "Well, then what?"

"Then, you hear your favorite song..."

"But I don't like listening to music, you know me."

"Shut up, don't interrupt me!" Sakura slapped his back ,"Just follow my lead! -- At this very moment, a person comes up behind you, and you can't wait to turn back to see her! She is the one that bright your heart, and the one you want to see subconsciously. -- So who did you see? Isn't that Hinata?"

Naruto still closed his eyes, with his eyebrows gloomily screwing together, silent a little and muttered:"well,I saw... Sasuke."

Sakura got scared and pushed back three steps, keeping safe distance with this Hentai. "Yo-you are too disgusting! How dare you covet MY husband!"

"Who covet him?!" Naruto opened his eyes, staring at her disgusted face, cried angrily: "It's apparently your fault! What a quack!"

"What did you say?!"Sakura gave him a blunt kick at the butt.

Naruto touched his ass: "Well, not a quack, but a Yeti woman!" Seeing Sakura really begin to rub her fists, he drew back and ran away. But Sakura chased after as well, not letting this go past.

In this tacit fight and joke, Uzumaki Naruto concealed the true image of his heart.

In the side of the image, there did be younger Sasuke standing alone, holding his arms, smiling. But in the middle, the person who ran to him was another one. Her smiling green eyes, and her soft hair dancingly fluttering in the wind, all looked like a butterfly within sight but beyond reach.

But after all this was only phantom, buried in his deep, black sea. It was not going to come true and was not hoped anymore, so it would be nothing but his harmless indulgence.


	19. Chapter 18

18

Uchiha Sasuke stood at the foot of the mountain, holding his arm, frowning slightly.

He did not eat for a whole day. Got provoked by Hanabi and came back from the Hyuga's house with an empty stomach, he now was still here waiting for her, which really started to make him angry:

She obviously doesn't understand the meaning of "soon-be-back". How can an absence from early morning to night be described as "soon"?

While thinking, he heard a heavy sound of geta. Well, that should be a big fellow of three hundred pounds.

But it was actually a little woman with her white eyes, carrying a huge bundle. She hunched up, coming along the road.

"..." Sasuke felt speechless, staring at her funny look till she's finally about to come up to his side. "What are you doing with this ridiculous burden? Are they kitchen goods?"

Hinata was hanging her head into meditation, so got quite surprised by his sudden appearance. She almost got scared till she found the speaker' identity: "Sasuke kun, good evening... Hanabi told me to choose whatever I like, so I accidentally...got a little bit overloaded."

Sasuke noticed a strange wave on her face, but now the more important point was about her inability to use the adverb of degree correct. He sighed slightly, reached out his hand: "Put it down, Let me take it."

Hinata surprised again. In her surprise there contained some kind of subtle emotion. She smiled: "Hanabi said that I should let the servant take it, but I told her there was no need..." The more she said, the more cloudy Sasuke's face became. She felt something wrong, though she can't recognize what it is, so changed her answer immediately: "I, I see. I'll put it down right now."

He was reluctant to be satisfied, then found the key of a lockdoor on her wrist. He suddenly stopped, "Who did you meet before?"

Hinata was surprised and consciously wanted to hide her hands.- But where's her position, and what's the reason to do so?-The dodging hand then stranded in his sight: "I met Naruto when I left Hyuga's mansion."

Her honest answer somehow made him impetuous. He shifted his gaze away from the glare key, turned back and walked away without head back, "Since it is so, you should be with him."

After two steps, he stopped. She did not follow behind, and he was really entangled by the broken geta sound. -But where's his position, and what's the reason to do so?

"We quarreled, for Neji nii-san." Her light voice sent into his ears through cold air, became faint like the oncoming moonlight, "When Neji rescued us, would he expect himself to be the thorn between Naruto and me now?"

"..." Sasuke silent for a moment, "Naruto is a perfectionist in his bone, Hyuga Ne...Your cousin was an unacceptable failure to him. "

Hinata sneered, but her smile was full of bitterness: "Hilarious. Someone sacrificed, and finally became the failure of someone else."

Her words was unwarranted harsh to Sasuke for it was nearly a metaphor of his own brother. He turned back, narrowed his black eyes, staring at the her with some kind of ridicule: "How about you? Aren't you a hilarious creature to take his voluntary as your own sin? "

"I..." He saw through her heart easily. She can't help shivering, yet retorted stubbornly, "I'm nothing like you said."

"Oh," Sasuke seemed amused, looking at her with shining dark eyes, "Don't be silly. You have always been a woman overestimated yourself."

"Overestimated myself..." She murmured his unkind comments, "...Is it so wrong being so?"

Sasuke looked at her unbending face, did not speak. In this short silence, his coldness gradually turned to mildness, end up an odd and indifferent objectivity: "since it is so, you should be with him. Protected by his strength, you got an unbroken umbrella. "

Hinata winced a little, touching the key unconsciously, which was warmed by her own heat. She thought for a moment, smiled: "I can tell you care for him, Sasuke kun. You don't want me to be the second failure of Naruto. "

Sasuke's expression suddenly froze up. He abandoned her, angrily walking forward. Her intended words did prick him.

Hinata carried her burden on hastily to follow him. She was so agitated that immediately fell on the road with her ankle twisted. The geta sent out a grating sound.

Sasuke stopped again, against his determination to hurt her. He clenched his fist, then loosened it, "Go back right now."

"I..." She bit her lips, "I want no protection, no umbrella, and no going back."

"Then what indeed do you want?"

"...I want nothing. "

"I met a dozen of people talking like you." Sasuke grinned. That smile souk up vemon of his dark past, "they were all despicable careerists. The truth is, they just wanted everything."

Lowered her head, she stared at the ground with sour eyes. Night rendered out gradually, climbing along her legs and into veins from the icy pavement, "I don't care what you think of me. I shall never care..."

She guessed he had left, for all those spiteful words severed their friendship. However, he eventually returned to her. His black shadow mantled her body. The solid frost thawed in his eyes, and his voice sounded like night, blurring the boundaries between white and black: "Get up and give me your bundle."

"I am a careerist." she was a bit angry, tightened her lips, refused to get up, "The careerist need no help."

Sasuke showed a hint of gentle smile on his cold and cruel face. "No, you are a child now, from head to toe."

Hinata raised head, stared at him sullenly: "Wrong, you are the only child here!" -Which really proved his comments.

At this moment, she suddenly felt something loosen on her back. She touched and got into a panic: Goddess, the belt is loose!

"... What's the matter? " Sasuke looked at her flurried expression, frowned a little.

She smiled awkwardly at Sasuke, "I... It's all right, that's... " She tried to fix the accident, but the more anxious she was, the less hope there was to bind it. After some self-defeating hard work, the obidome went lost, so her smooth satin belt completely loosened, even the lapel of her kimono got open as well.

Due to the lack of patience and gentlemanlikeness, he crouched to check the situation without her permission, finally found her chic belt knot disappeared, and the graceful belt turned out to be a slice of very long, useless fabric. In this emergency, Hinata was too shy to move. Her two white hands hid in the embroidered Satin resembled a pair of doves, with her pink fingertips as beaks.

It was really a surprise. While troubled by her new problem, Sasuke smelt a sweet fragrance come from Hinata's body. Her delicate neck and clavicles showed out from the collar, and her plump breasts was undulating for nervousness.

"Please... Please, Sasuke kun... " Her vision was occupied by his chest and shoulders. The shyness got her hypoxic, " Please let go of me..."

Her voice ,did not know why, fevered him a bit. He caught one of her trembling hand: "Let me help."

"Sa-sasuke kun... I don't need... " Hinata were shrouded in his arms, anxiously sweating. She tried to a struggle, but his hard arms even embraced her tighter.

He breathed out with his thin lips by her auricle: "Do not... move. "

Perhaps it was because his whole childhood and youth were filled with revenge and killing desire, woman's charm had never attracted his attention. But he was seized with a sudden impulse right now.

Her sweaty hair, her trembling hands, and her soft chests... Everything reminded him that Hyuga Hinata is a beautiful woman from head to foot. What's more, the possibility she might escape from his hand stimulated him to grasp her subconsciously.

Just then, she suddenly stopped resisting. He woke up from the heat, loosened his arm slightly and looked down, finding that she had fainted away for tension and shyness.

"..." Sasuke had only heard of her famous faint before, but never really saw it. Now she made it, and he couldn't help laughing.

Then he felt a little embarrassed, intend to wake her up. But it was actually the same for her to be awake or asleep due to that twisted foot, so he finally decided to make the belt a fast knot, and carried her on the back, going back to home awkwardly. With a little woman and her huge burden on his shoulders, there was nothing of him like the scary traitor developed a fearsome reputation, but simply a silly guy, even sillier than Naruto Uzumaki.

On the quiet way home, Sasuke can hear only her breathing. He sighed a little bit in his heart. The sighing was not because of depression, but from another feeling, which made him want to smile as well. This mood had disappeared from his life for a long time, so long as if extinct.

"Hyuga Hinata is much happier now!"

"since it is so, you should be with him."

"I want nothing."

He heard lots of voices: The angry warning from Hanabi, a cold suggestion from himself, and the bitter answer from Hinata. His smile faded away, replaced by elusive thoughts glowed in his eyes.

If determined to cross the line, he would be supercilious and bold enough to despise all the stunned reproach coming from the world. But he was not the wild young man he used to be any more.

By the time, he arrived at the door of his house.

He was about to cross the threshold, but a pottery pot, which was curled at the top of the burden, suddenly fell out on the ground and split from the middle.

Hinata was awakened by the sound. She raised her head from his shoulder, looking at the broken pot. She was a little surprised and said to himself: "well... This is my favorite Iga Yagi. " But quickly added with a smile, "But it doesn't matter, Sasuke kun."

Sasuke stared at the crack in the moonlight. His cold eyes flashed a while, ultimately buried into the same old indifference: "Are you okay now? Then come down."


	20. Chapter 19

19

Uchiha Sarada looked at his watch, it would soon be the time for the end of Ninja school. she came back from her job a quarter ago, went to the school gate and stood at the tree beside the gate, waiting for Uzumaki Himawari to come out.

At the moment, it was quiet around, only the trees' shadow swaying. She graduated two months ago, so it was very natural to have nostalgia when standing in front of the once-been-bored campus. Her father kept away from home for a long time, there was only her mother taking care of her daily life. Therefore, Sarada fostered a very strong temperament. During the school days, she got up earlier than Sakura to make breakfast, and was always the first one to arrive everyday. So this empty school gate was the most familiar building to her.

Comparing with herself, her desk mate Uzumaki Boruto was completely on the contrary. He ran into the classroom with the bell every morning, chewing his mother-made breakfast. -Hum, how annoying he is! Thinking of him, this black-hair girl complained in her heart, while a little warmth appearing in his eyes.

At this time, the school bell rang. All the Kids were flowing out of the campus. There was a young girl with blue eyes and black hair walking alone. That was Himawari.

Sarada walked over to her: "Hello, Himawari! Long time no see!"

Himawari was slightly drooping her head, absorbed in her own thought, so she was surprised to Sarada's appearance. She blinked her eyes, politely greeted: " Sarada san! It's you! So glad to have you back the village!"

After greetings, Sarada introduced the topic to her real intention: "Himawari, I remembered you asked for a map of your mother's house last time, is everything alright? - And did you see my dad? "

Himawari winced, slightly pursed her lips.

For some reason, she subconsciously felt that it would be very inappropriate to answer the truth.

Therefore, she considered and skipped the fingers play, skipped the meals Hinata and Sasuke shared together, even skipped her bold and free experience of walking into the Uchiha house, and finally found one thing can be answered: "Thank you for your concern, my mom wa s great, as well as Sasuke san. He even got a little pet bird!"

"A bird?" Sarada seemed very startled, could not help but repeating her words, "What kind of bird?"

To such a question, Himawari didn't know how to reply, only to follow Sasuke's answer: "it is... It's a sparrow. "

Sarada said goodbye to Himawari and went back home frowning.

She barely got the permission to visit her father's house. During the few times' reunion, Sarada had never seen any pet. Actually, probably because of Sasuke's cold chakra and personality, there were no animal dare to enter in that house or yard at all.

But why did he start petting a bird, an ordinary sparrow? - How could a man who has been neglecting his wife and daughter so many years, suddenly got a loving heart for a sparrow?

Uchiha Sakura was not surprised to see her daughter come in with a cold face. - Well, after all, she's a child of Sasuke. If she happily laughs all day long, that would be creepy.

She smiled to her and said: "Sarada, welcome back! Did you finish your work? Come on and sit down, get ready for delicious dinner! "

Sarada sat at the table. Watching her mother's tall, slender figure, which seemed thinner these days, the resentment to her father increased hotly, making her even unhappier than usual.

She poked the bread in the rattan basket on the table with her fingers, staring at and those small holes vexedly: "Mom, I have to go outside for mission in two days. Can you find a time that we can go to see dad together before I leave?"

Sakura stopped her job frying the steak, pondered for a moment, as if recalling a plan, then said happily: "Well, Naruto and I discussed about a mission for your dad yesterday. He needs someone to send the message. I think he will agree to let you be the messenger."

These years, the relationship between she and Sasuke, though still distant, even reluctant to be portraited as an actual "relationship", became gradually stable. She found out Sasuke's cold temper was born in his inborn traits. He was a rock cannot be warmed, not specially indifferent to her; Since got used to the coldness, she stopped wasting efforts like she used to be.

After all, there was an unbreakable link of blood in the Uchiha family. Uchiha Sasuke may love no woman in the world, but he must cherish his daughter in the heart.

Isn't a daughter her best teammate?

Thought of that, Sakura couldn't help squinting her eyes up and tittering: "Since you are going, I might as well go with you. It's been a long time since the visit last time, and I feel like some kind of... miss him. "

Sarada looked at her mother's bright, innocent face like a young girl, feeling it silly yet cute. It was clearly that Sakura was delighted for this little plan, but pretended not so happy for her shyness.

The black-eye girl picked up the bread she poked just now, chewing it. She was affected by her mother's optimism, ideally thinking toward the positive direction: Maybe dad is finally defeated by his long, lonely life. No wonder he would keep a pet. But it's okay because he will find out sooner or later that reuniting with family is the best cure for loneliness.


	21. Chapter 20

20

In the gentle shadow of evening, Sasuke and Hinata were in the courtyard together. Hinata was squatting on the side of the pool, sprinkling fish food into the water. She leaned to the pond, bent on the swimming fish. Sasuke stood beside her, and gazed at her in case of her accidentally falling into the water.

At this time, the sparrow flew out from the corridor with hovered on the top of their two, then gently perched on Sasuke's head.

They all said that only lonely people would feed bird and fish. But Sasuke now faced the fish, headed a bird, showing not a hint of loneliness at all.

"..." with the little claws resting on his scalp, Sasuke slightly frowned and raised his hand to wave it away, "Go away."

However, this bird had been a most reckless child, flew up half a meter and landed back again, for it had found out his temper.

Hinata raised her head and found some annoyance in his black eyes, but he spoiled the bird with acquiescence. She couldn't help smiling: "it really gets bolder owing to your good temper."

\- My Good temper? The man who was famous for his bad temper picked his eyebrows, for she was the first one dare to describe him as such.

Hinata stood up and rubbed her hands after using up the fish food. The bird flew down and fell on the edge of the pond. Maybe it finally found out that the his hairstyle was not as suitable as a nest any more. But Hinata was still smiling for the scene just now. Becoming familiar with Sasuke, She was in a good mood these days, even her illness produced less pain than before.

She suggested while smoothing her sleeves: "Sasuke kun, why don't you give it a name, since you've kept it for so long?"

Sasuke didn't think about this until she advised.

He did not have any pet since childhood, and in his eyes it was always a nuisance for its all kinds of useless and troublesome features. But the sparrow, which he accepted initially only because Hinata was happy to see it, gradually became an established object that integrated in his life. Maybe... It's not bad to give him a name.

He glanced at her violet kimono weaved with the heraldry of Hyuga, pondered for a moment and said: "Okay. Then its name shall be Wakamurasaki＊."

 _＊Wakamurasaki refers to "looks like Murasaki". Murasaki No Wue was the favorite concubine of Genji in the Tale of Genji. Her name means violet and she always wore violet clothes._

It was his first time to name for a living thing. When he spoke out these syllables, there seemed to be a wonderful connection producing between him and this ordinary bird. This strange feeling made him suddenly remind of his daughter Sarada yearningly.

Hinata did not know his thoughts. She just opened her puzzled, white eyes, looking at the sparrow. It shook its little head and observed around cannily, wearing an undistinguished black feathers, got nothing similar to the peerless beauty in the tale of Genji. She felt it amusing, covered her mouth and laughed: "Great, it seems that Wakamurasaki was really cosseted by our Sasuke san."

She said such bold words in a completely unawareness. -If she knew the reason of the name, it will make her hide herself into the ground for shyness. Sasuke thought like that and his thin lips bent a gentle smile.

Sarada then was just to arrive at the outside of the yard. She heard her father talking and laughing with a woman, which made her startled and frowned. She straightly went along the blue stone road into the yard without greetings intend to find the truth.

When she saw Hinata and father stood together, she can not help but confused.

In her impression, Hinata was always talking quietly and restrainedly. She never heard such a lively laugh coming from the wife of Hokage, so didn't recognize it just now.

Sasuke heard the footsteps of an uninvited guest. He raise his eyesight to see his own daughter standing on the road in the courtyard. It was a surprising coincidence that should have made him happy. But his face was still a kind of cold, faded away the smile he just revealed: "Sarada, why did you suddenly come? What's the matter? "

In fact, his attitude was modest considering his indifferent nature, but Sarada felt angry about him. She haven't seen her father since the celebration, yet this meeting, which she looked forward to, started with such a distant question!

She eyed at the grass through the glasses in a resentful mood: "I come here to give you the task from Hokage sama. Mom came here, too. She's at the crossroads with a lot of food and ingredients. You should go and meet her. "

In fact, Sakura was eager to follow her, but Sarada commanded her to stay at the intersection of the forest roads this time, waiting for her husband to welcome her.

But Sasuke got no this kind of habit, nor such interest. He narrowed his eyes: "Was she sick or injured?"

"None...!" Sarada felt stuffy in her chest, answered a word coldly.

The atmosphere froze down quickly after their few words. Hinata, an embarrassed outsider standing by Sasuke's side with her head drooping, suddenly took a few steps forward to Sarada and smiled: "Don't worry, I can go to help Sakura. I guess you didn't see your father for a long time. So come in and talk with you father, okay? "

Then, Hinata buried her head and went straight out of the yard without looking back at Sasuke, shaking like a slender willow in the wind. When Sarada suddenly appeared, her heart raced with a sense of fear and shame. - She could not bear staying in between them no more.

The difficulty designed for her father was resolved by an acquaintance. Sarada didn't know what to do. Her eyesight returned to her father's face. Sasuke stared at the gate, in his eyes was the mysterious mind that no one can guess.

Is dad waiting for mom coming in? - Sarada muttered in her heart. She grew up with only Sakura, end up promoting a personality similar to her mother, despite of her typical appearance of Uchiha. So she couldn't understand her father. She could only grasp the leaked clues and gave her own guess.

"Sarada," he suddenly asked, "how did you do after the graduation?"

Sarada was a little surprised, looked down at the ground and replied, "No... nothing different. "

They two did not talk nor go into the house, standing in the courtyard of silence after two lines.

For not long, Hinata and Sakura came back together. Sakura brought up a large bag of fresh fruits and vegetables, and Hinata helped her take the other stuff. They giggled, and the face of Sakura was so bright that the joyfulness shined beautifully .

And this time, Sarada finally found out that her father was truly waiting for and eyeing on a woman. But not her mother.


	22. Chapter 21

21

Uchiha Sakura braided her hair, rolled up her sleeves and crammed those complicated recipes in her heart, ready to make her dinner a feast.

But as soon as she walked into the kitchen, she was somewhat surprised. Sasuke's was always empty, so she had to bring all the utensils herself; Yet the kitchen now was totally different. There were all varieties of tools arranged next to the hearth, even a basket of fruits and vegetables. Beside a tomato, Sakura saw several sealed boxes filled with hand-made dishes, suitable for Sake in spring.

"Hinata..." She stared at these sealed boxes and asked Hinata behind her, "Have you used this kitchen?"

Hinata eyed down, seeing her twisted, trembled fingers: "I. I was...I have no place to cook in my cabin. Sasuke kun sympathized with me...So he borrowed here to me temporarily. "

Sakura laughed for her explanation, shook her head and walked to the kitchen table. She washed her hands while talking: "Hinata, he can not be not so nice as your guess. It must be Naruto. Otherwise, how would he allow anyone come into his house only for sympathy?"

Hinata didn't expect Sakura would judge Sasuke as such; what's worse, Naruto's name made her heart stung suddenly, so she answered dazedly: "Is...is that so?"

"He's not the talking type, and always cold to people around." Heard her dull voice, Sakura laughed again. "It's normal that Hinata doesn't comprehend him. Even I myself couldn't completely understand his thoughts for so many years. Tell you a secret: I sometimes suspect he is a machine."

"He is not," Hinata wanted to say: not as you said. But she amended after a pause, "a bad person."

Silent for a moment, Sakura sighed: "of course he is very good... Otherwise, why do I devote my life to him? Just like you, don't you give yourself to Naruto completely, too? " Speaking of this, she smiled for recalling the old memory. "Do you remember that we encouraged each other to cherish the marriage, when Sasuke and I got married? We must help each other today. Do not worry, I will help you to reconcile you with Naruto!"

To cater to her, Hinata lowered her head and smiled, but found this behavior hypocritical and disgusting. She picked up that tomato from the shelf to make an ornament for dishes. She was making an ornament for the crime of herself. The knife in her hand was shaking all the time, almost cut to her fingers several times.

Uzumaki Naruto and the illness, both were not remembered to Hyuga Hinata for a long time. Sakura brought about one of them, so the other attacked her unavoidably.

The lesions under her ribs began to ache again, and her heart, which was surrounded by the relaxed atmosphere these days, soon drowned into the sea of pain. The wonderful memories with Sasuke became dreams and bubbles, flashed in front of her eyes and broke up one by one.

She dare not look straightly to Sakura 's back. Sarada's contemptuous look was vivid in her mind. Her life was dragged out from the darkness of profound, and exhibited under daylight without omen. It scalded her heart with shame and embarrassment.

She condoned herself to the forbidden place step by step, and now the insuperable line was in front of the tip of her feet. Reason was reprimanding her in the cold.

However, this heat of soldering iron, she cannot let go. She had been frozen for too long before found the heat and revived. How could she let go even if got scalded to death again?

"Hinata san, what's the matter with you?"

The girl with the same dark hair as Sasuke stood by the kitchen door, held her arms. Through the cold eyeglasses, she watched the woman in kimono with hidden anger.

Hinata suddenly found herself in tears. She wept with her sleeve quickly and gave a reluctantly smile: "Nothing, Sarada. I just got some tomato Juice into eyes."

"Hinata, watch out!" Sakura grinned in concern.

In Hinata's ears, even a common concern became a warning enough to expose her disguise and sentence the crime.

She clenched her lips, closed her eyes, feeling chaos in her brain.

At dinner, Sasuke clearly noticed Hinata's gloominess, which made him frown.

If it was not Murasaki reminded him of Sarada today, Sarada and Sakura's interrupt visit will get him angry for sure. But it was still a failure because he should have let Hinata leave instead of sitting here, if he would ever know this accident happening.

Sasuke kept silence and did not eat. Sakura clenched her fists on her laps, nervously observing his face.

Sarada hated to see her mother so timid, screwing her eyebrows, and turned to Sakura, "Help him to the dishes, since you are his wife!"

Encouraged by her daughter's order, Sakura scratched her head with a smile, boldly stood up, and clipped a Scallops sashimi to his bowl with her chopsticks: "Sasuke, I know you have no chance to eat seafood in the mountain, so I went to select some for you today. Try it!"

Sasuke showed no special mood in his face, nor declination. His bowl was not raised to accept her attentive help, either. Sarada became angrier, cast her chopsticks on the table recklessly, "Stop it! Sit down! He remains at least one hand for himself! "

Her words were so biting that Sasuke's face changed. Sakura immediately scolded her as well: "Sarada! How can you talk to your father like this! "

In such a stalemate, from the room suddenly flew out a brown sparrow. It didn't aware of the tense atmosphere at all, and went straightly to Sasuke's side to peck out of rice from his bowl.

"Wa-wakamurasaki!" Hinata did not expect the situation, quickly leaned over to take it to elsewhere.

The bird's name stuck into Sarada's heart like needles.

At the very moment, her all sorts of suffering roared in her ears. A man never felt sorry for his irresponsibility, now got himself a birdlike concubine... Murasaki! What a name! How fantastic!

She grabbed the sparrow with her well-trained deft hand, faster than the bird's wings. This small, feathery ball struggled in her hand, only to make her anger and hatred burn more prosperous, with her bitterness as fuel.

She glared at her so-called father, feeling her throat aching: "Uchiha Sasuke... Is this your new sweetheart?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and looked back at her. It seemed he was not interested in her query. On his handsome face showed a cruel indifference: "I would say only once. Let it go."

Sarada's tears suddenly dried up. She chuckled loudly: "Alright, I will let it go!"

Then, she raised her hand and flung it on the ground.

The little bird with ordinary brown color stretched its claw in pain. Its wings gradually stiffened.

Sakura was so stunned that didn't know what to say.

Sasuke stared at the little corpse for a long time. He was the same silent and still, staring at it.

Hinata's lips paled. His face was almost sheltered by the black hair, so she can only gazed at his thin lips trembling. And that trembling broke her heart.

Suddenly, he stood up, and walked to open the paper door. He said without expression:

"Get out. - You all clear out of here."


	23. Chapter 22

22

"Sarada, what's the matter with you today？ Why so much anger?... You should have been happy met your father, instead of pissing him up. It's not wise to quarrel with him only for a bird. Don't forget you will leave for mission with your father then. "

Sakura stood in the courtyard outside the room, holding her daughter's hands, looking at her stubborn face. She felt a little annoyed but persuaded in a very soft tone.

Watched by her gentle eyes, Sarada got irritated by her foolish trust to the undeserving man, but the irritation soon became a painful love. Tears dropped from her proud, black eyes.

Sarada never cried in front of others. Her tears was so sad that Sakura' heart started aching as well. She felt something vague from all the tiny evidences and Sarada's tears, yet couldn't figure them out, only to run away.

Sakura hurried walked towards Hinata, put a scroll into her hand: "Hinata, I want to bring Sarada back home, would you be kind enough to give this task to Sasuke for me? In fact, Naruto decided to send him to the nation border with all the graduated kids and appointed him as the drillmaster." Sakura said with a sigh," I was hoping he would take this opportunity to get closer to Sarada... Sarada never has such chance to be with him. But, you see, they are the same stubborn type... As for me, I don't think I have enough right of speech. You are Mrs. Hokage, and the wife of Naruto. If you can persuade, maybe he'll agree the mission. "

Silently stood there, Hinata held the scroll in her trembling hand, and it almost fell down on the ground. Finally , she managed to reply: "Well, I'll try."

The young girl stared at Hinata with her eyes filled with hatred, and suddenly grabbed her mother's hand, taking her to the door. "What's the meaning stay here? To get his cold-shoulder? Go back with me! We must go to find someone! "

Only Hinata was left in the yard.

The spring wind was so warm that her palms started sweating and wet the scroll. She lowered her eyes, found its seal uneven, apparently had been uncovered once before delivered to its true owner.

Sasuke will not be happy if he sees this. She thought like that, blankly stroked the small seal to flat it with fingertips in vain.

The doorbell was ringing.

Naruto put down the chopsticks, and spoke with his mouth chewing the fried chicken: "who would come so late?"

Himawari opposite the table stood up and smiled: "I guess that might be uncle Shikamaru. Let me open the door."

However, when opened the door, she saw Sarada standing in the door; By her side stood Sakura with a little hesitation. Himawari was surprised to say hello to the two of them, but Sarada ignored it and walked straight into the house sulkily.

Naruto heard her daughter's soft voice calling "Sarada nee-san", "Sakura san", which surprised him as well. He came out of the restaurant to the living room to welcome: "Ha-ha! Aren't these Sakura chan and Sarada chan? Why do you visit? I bet you got attracted by my delicious dinner!"

Sakura hadn't recovered from the confusion until she saw him smiling handsome face and heard the word "dinner". All her grievances, resentment and sadness suddenly burst out, and she stamped her feet and shouted to him:

"No one wants your dinner! No one wants your greetings! Why do you laugh so loud? Is it that seeing me suffering makes you happy?! "

Before she could finish her screaming, tears fell off like lines of pearls from her glaring green eyes.

She went to the door and started shouting without any previous cue, but Naruto was not angry at all. He panicked for her tears immediately, rushed to her side, and held her shoulders: "Hey, oh, don't cry! What happened? Did anyone bully you? who's the bustard daring to make you sad? Tell me, I will give him a lesson! "

Sakura bit her teeth with her tears still falling. Her nose was red, and her voice choked, "no one made me sad! It's you who got me sad! I don't need you beat anybody, I just want to beat you!" Then, her fist pounded in his chest.

Naruto ate the pain of her savage and grasped. He resigned and smiled : "Alright, alright... Don't you an expert hitting me from childhood？ I'm used to it a long time ago. Come on!"

Sarada looked at Naruto's smiling face, and her heart full of hatred suddenly soften by grieves, and her eyes of dryness were gradually raising the tide of tears.

She intended to come to confront with Uzumaki Naruto, laying bear his wife's shameful deed. But seeing Naruto's gentle care to the mother, she suddenly felt pity and sympathy - if he knew about this matter, how sad would he be?

When her so called father left home for decades, Naruto was the one that often helped and cared for her mother Sakura. Sarada witnessed how his energy and brightness encouraged Sakura, so she sometimes even felt closer to Hokage than her real father. Sometimes she even felt that Naruto was a real hero to mom.

Thought about that, her disgust for Hinata grew even more: Clearly, she has got such a good husband, so how could she not satisfy yet?

Himawari sipped her lips without speaking. She turned back to the kitchen and poured two glasses of water to the guest, and put it on the table in the living room, then went out.

After hitting Naruto, Sakura felt a little relieved from the sadness in her heart. She smile to Himawari with embarrassment, sitting on the sofa, holding up the cup of water.

"You calm down finally?" Naruto sat down across from her and looked at her with a smile. The smile was bitter because for her unreasonable anger, but his eyes stuck on her face, not willing to even move a little, "So what's the matter? Tell me, instead of messing around."

"What did you say?!" Sakura was annoyed and shook her fist again till he repeatedly asked for forgiveness.

Some roughhouse was good for health. But Sakura's laughter faded away soon. She sighed and said ruefully, "I really need your listening... Today Sarada and I went to send the task to Sasuke. We ate together, but Sarada was angry because Sasuke was cold to her. So they two quarrel. What should I do? I really worry that Sasuke may refuse the mission we planed for so long."

"Don't worry." Naruto said confidently, "If he refuses, we can just find another way."

Sarada heard her mother's explanation of her behavior in such a way, felt somewhat unavoidable unwilling. But since she had eliminated the initial intend, she did not interrupted or retort, just quietly retired from the room.

As soon as walked out of the door, Sarada saw Himawari standing alone on the staircase of the corridor. Her pair of big, blue eyes stared to her inexplicably, and said quietly, "Sarada nee-san, I think it's better not tell any word about what you just want to say."

Sarada looked at this little girl in front of her in surprise and doubt. Her fast mind was inherited from Sasuke, which helped her discover the truth that Himawari has knew Hinata and Sasuke's affair already. She could not help sneered, "I should have found you lied to me yesterday. A young girl, yet a great liar. You learnt a lot from your mother. "

Her words were sharp but Himawari seemed unmoved at all, even her pair of blue eyes got no hint of tremble, "You are right. My mother is a liar always. She's been telling a lot of lies for her entire life." When the last sentence spoken, her face showed a little melancholy.

"For others?" Sarada sneered at her ironically, "then I must like to thank her for making us happy, don't you think?"

"No." Himawari also revealed a smile, looking at her without fear, "she is now for her own happiness, so she doesn't need your thanks any more. Sarada nee-san, do you know? The world is so dark yet so fair. If one person in the world is very happy, there must be someone else suffering the misfortune for him or her. My mother had been forborne too long, and it's her turn to get what she really wants. "

Sarada looked at her smiling face with a little dizzy. She took a deep breath and said:"...What a whore."

Himawari's deep, calm eyes finally quivered for that word. She bit her pale lips, paused a little and smiled gloomily: "My mother is a whore, then what about your mother?"

Sarada was about to slap on her face, but she finally repressed the impulse. She used a kind of scorn eyes watching Himawari, and spoke every single word clearly: "I can't believe you would be Hokage sama's daughter."

Himawari lifted her jaw, squinted her blue eye superciliously, and slowly replied: "I can't believe you were Sasuke san's daughter, either."


	24. Chapter 23

23

Hinata stood on the land outside the corridor, gazing at the figure of Sasuke in the room quietly. She had been standing for a long time. The dew on the grass weted her tabi.

Sasuke had been sitting for a long time as well, like a stone in silence.

Suddenly, he opened his mouth faintly: "Why are you still there? Go back your cabin."

His tone were no different with usual, but her heart felt too bitter to watch him again. She lowered her head and frowned: "I... I just don't want Sasuke kun to be alone. Sorry... I'm going back right now. "

She was about to lifted her foot and the grass under her geta rustled. But he suddenly stopped her: "No, stay here."

Hinata stopped her footsteps complyingly. She looked at her fingertips in the moonlight for a long time and whispered, "Sasuke kun, Sarada is still young and immature. Please forgive her and don't rapture your bond of love."

"..." He still had his back to her, using the only black eye stare at the Hemerocallis on the paper door. Then he slowly folded his eyes and sighed, whispering, "When it died, I can't stop thinking of Itachi."

He almost had some hardships to speak out the name of that man. She was so frightened and surprised by his painful voice that her tears had been streaming down before any word spoken.

What does that name symbolize to him? It was a kind of emotion that cannot be described in any language. It was of tragedy, darkness and deep claret, and become a kind of softness that he can never touch again. It was soft yet sharp too much, light yet heavy too much, being together with the dust of time.

Her tears were silent, and could possibly seen by only the moonlight. But Sasuke seemed to know, and clicked with his tongue: "Why? Don't cry, Hinata." It was like a reproach, but a comfort as well.

She sobbed a little and lifted her sleeves to wipe her tears: "I think you can have another bird. We can go together to find one tomorrow."

He was silent for a moment and said, "No, not anymore."

Hinata took a step to him in a somehow anxiety, but quickly repressed the step back instead. She held her hands, and softly added, "Then... Let's wait, till you get in a good mood to find the bird. "

Sasuke's voice suddenly went cold with anger: "I haven't the habit of finding myself substitutes."

She could not help looking up, looking back at the man's back again.

His waist was very thin, but the shoulders were wide, and his spine is always straight, as if an arrogant and fierce hawk in a group of normal birds, so outstanding, and so lonely.

Hinata had only been with him for two months, but she felt herself getting too much comprehension of him. Therefore, from the deep part of the understanding, a sentence suddenly appeared. A sentence that shouldn't been spoken out, for as long as she said it, their relationship shall no longer go back to the peace and safety she gained now.

However, exactly because of it, she had to speak anyway.

The moonlight poured on her body like cold water. She suddenly felt very chilling and could not help holding her arm and whispered, "But you know... the bird will die one day. "

It was very inappropriate to talking about the inevitability of death in such atmosphere. Sasuke, however, was silent for a long time for her words. Then, he answered seriously: "For me, it was the same whether alive or dead."

"But," She paused, trying to control her trembling voice, "The bird may hope that you... Do not be like this. Maybe it wants you to forget, right? "

Sasuke at last stood up, and walked to the front of the porch. He looked up to the quiet moon in the night sky, and the shadow of moon fell in the Dark Jade like eyes and floated quietly: "I knew. I knew because a lot of people have this kind hope hope to me... Whether they are alive or dead. "

Then he lowered his eyesight and slowly stopped on Hinata's face, looking at her warm pearl pupils with his cold-hot eyes.

And this time, she did not shy away from his sight as usual, but to look back silently with her happy-sad eyes.

In such a long and short gaze, she seemed to have spent all her life to see through his heart for the first time.

Uchiha Sasuke, standing alone in his own cold loneliness and freedom, did not allow anyone to get close to him. His thin silhouette was very disdainful, as if there was no flaw at all. However, in the bottom of his encircled darkness, what kind of burden did he have? What kind of pain did we hide?

She was as unaware as other people around her. But she suddenly remembered that she was always trying hard to keep her smile, and trying hard to protect those old memories that were forgotten by a lot of people.

It's not that she was arrogant enough to declare her understanding. In fact, is there anyone in the world that can actually feel the same way with Uchiha Sasuke? She just couldn't stop trying to ask "why": Why, at this very moment, in the difficult and painful world, in the long yet short life, it was she who happened to see the of flaw of Sasuke?

Of course there would be no one to come and answer her question,.

It disappeared and left only an empty echo.

She remembered the mountain paths to the store, twisting and narrow, and some places were simply a pile of rocks.

She always followed him behind him, too shy to lift her head, only to occasionally peeped at his slow heels just like her young time. At that time, she always felt that the road was so long, so long that there was no ending at all. Maybe they would take years and decades to walk quietly to arrive home.

But now, she realized that the road was too short. And it made her regret. She regretted for her shyness: Why did not I speak with him, and even dare not to look up? - If I can, how much do I wish to walk with him again!

Unfortunately, before her little wish germinated, she had lost the way to him due to all the barriers of wrongness she built for herself. She had exhausted all her time in her cowardice and wandering.

Sasuke had never been stared by her like that. Her shy and dodging eyes were glittering, whiter than the snow in the mountain and brighter than the moon at night. He could not help laughing gently: "What are you thinking?"

Hinata blinked her eyelashes like waking from her dream. She smiled, and when her eyes stopped quivering, the light of pearl became a quiet and gentle mist, hiding the tiny pulsation in the deep.

"I just suddenly remembered that Sakura told me to hand this scroll to you before leaving."


	25. Chapter 24

24

While speaking, she put her hand into her arms, and pulled out a scroll, then walked two steps to him, holding the task with both hands.

Her voice was soft: "This is your mission brought by Sarada. Please take it, Sasuke kun."

Sasuke paused for a moment before he took a step to the side of the corridor and accepted the scroll. He quickly found the seal had been demolished, which made him frown.

After shaking off the scroll, he was even more surprised by the content written on it: Naruto sent him and all the new students to the frontier of the fire country. He would supervise their training and protect their lives and complete various tasks according to the order of Daimyo. The time limit was at least six months.

Over the years, Naruto did not give Sasuke many tasks, but once he gave one, it will be extremely difficult, dangerous and complex, even assassination was more seasonable for him comparing with drillmaster work. After all, when talked to the ability of the babysitting, if he counted himself the second from the bottom, who else dare honor the tailender?

"Why..." Sasuke closed the scroll and frowned. "Why does Naruto send me to do such work?"

Hinata lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment, recalling Sakura's explanation: "I think he must have a good reason..." She perceived his the puzzled eyes and awkwardly covered up, "I, I have just opened the scroll."

Sasuke glanced at her lightly and looked back, holding the scroll in his hand: "You needn't cover that. I know it's not you open it. "

She felt his trust and it brought a joyful sorrow to her quiet heart.

When her sweet-bitter mood was about to die away, his cool voice suddenly rang:

"I will refuse this task."

She looked up in surprise, as vacillating as the white water lily and the rippled pond in the breeze. The pale lotus shook like her lips: "But, Sasuke kun... How could you do that? I, I never think it's possible... "

Sasuke held up his arms and his eyes reflected her face. Her gentle disguise was quietly broken, showing a little hasty look, which suddenly made his heart tighten: "Why impossible? I have never been Konoha's servant. Certainly I have the right to choose."

"But Sasuke kun, why would you," Hinata lowered her eyes hesitatingly, and raised one hand to hide her lips, as if a child fearing any wrong word spoken out, "...make such a choice? "

Behind the sleeves, her snow white face was like a lotus flower in the rainy night, which reminded him of the night he came back. He gazed at her. And her frightened and dodging eyes were the jewel-like pistils.

His eyes were deep and dark, but at the moment lit up a hot spark. The words he told were already determined to speak out, but eventually were armed with his own unfriendliness: "What do you think? - I'll let you guess."

Hinata's thin shoulders and her whole body started trembling all over. Her face bloomed with rosy ruddy and soon turned wan. There seemed to be too much happiness and sadness fighting each other, and the war flames had almost consumed her soul.

Sasuke didn't talk any more, but to wait for her answer. There was a line of his life, seperating himself from the whole world. On this side of the line, he possessed his loneliness that won't be forsaken. So she must come forward to his territory by free will. It only needed one step and he would abandon all he has to gain her.

He was patiently waiting for her footsteps.

"... I think, "After a century-long silence, Hinata finally calmed her breath. She closed her eyes and opened it again, and looked straight at him," I think Sasuke kun should consider the big picture and leave for mission as soon as possible. "

Sasuke was almost stunned. He with his confused eyes stared at her, slowly asked:"... What did you say? "

Her eyes still looked straightly at him, with a tame, friendly, but unemotional pearl white: "I knew Sasuke kun felt yourself not suitable for this kind of work, but Naruto's arrangement must be out of some important intention. As members of Konoha, we both need to support him. Besides, Sasuke kun you should pay more attention to Sarada. Maybe you can take advantage of this opportunity to get along well with her. She's your only daughter after all, and that's Sakura's wish..." At last, she paused and added another sentence, "I urge you so because, because Sasuke kun, you are a... very good friend of mine."

He squared up his black eyes and stared at her. In his indifferent voice there slowly ignited cold fire: "...Ah, a 'friend', isn't it? '

She stood here and clenched her hands. Finally she looked away from him.

In her heart, Uchiha Sasuke was a proud man with too much pride. So she can't bear to watch his latent injury under the anger. It will make her heart broken into two pieces even if by only a smallest slice.

In this long silence, she suddenly took a step forward, with her white eyes woodenly lowering and her knees about to bend.

Hyuga Hinata sometimes hated herself being such a loser, too weak to find another way rather than the humble imploration. Even if she had sworn to never kneel to anyone again since the day she left Uzumaki Naruto.

Just then, a hand suddenly came up, and grabbed her shoulder hard, so that she could not kneel down.

The hand was big, and the long fingers crossed her clavicle, almost have her thin bones crushed.

Uchiha Sasuke looked at her pale face filled with pain and panic, and felt the drastic agitation of her heart from his fingers. She got hurt but did not resist at all. He felt that the anger in the chest was going to burn himself. In the fire there was a grim sorrow.

He was almost suffocated, and when he spoke again, he couldn't recognize his own broken and fierce voice. It was like a voice of a beast:

"How dare you... kneel? "

"Hyuga Hinata... Aren't you always having your... own way in front of me from the beginning? Aren't you always the wayward winner...since we met? ...I can't bear your begging! I don't need it... And I don't care no more. "

She was biting her lips with her eyes closed and trembling, like a blind butterfly in a deadly storm. His crushed voice was as sharp as a knife, stabbed into her eyeballs. Too much was the pain burst yet too few was the tears left.

"I..." She tried hard to strip the shelter off from her heart to tell the hiden truth, "I did not leave Naruto for my cowardice, and did not leave you for the transgression."

"Stop your graceful embellishment." He sneered icily, "To dress your betrayal up as an honorable sacrifice, like you always do."

Then he finally released her and looked at her coldly for the last time, and turned back indifferently:

"As your wish, I will set off tonight."


	26. -The part of kikyou- Chapter 25

25

On the carriage to the border, Sasuke fell asleep, holding his sword, and had a dream.

He dreamed that he was still a child, sitting at the table, and his mother stared at him in such a gentle and loving way with a pair of black eyes.

He complained: "Why does father never look at me?"

His mother smiled, as if she was going to tell him a big secret: "Guess what? When I am with him, he is always talking about you, Sasuke!"

He was surprised and continued to ask:"Will he still look at me if I'm not good at Ninjutsu?"

She laughed, holding him against her bosom: "Your father and I, we will love you no matter what. Even if you became a little bad boy someday, you are still our baby."

That's his most vivid memory of "happiness".

Then the picture turned into a wedding scene of Sakura and him. She was wearing a white wedding dress, and her beauty let the the bouquet in her hands cast into the shade.

Sakura, with her green eyes filled with obsession, nearly piety, looked at him tearing, "Sasuke, you know, I will love you all my life and never let go of your hands forever."

It may also be called "happiness" at that time.

However, why was it? Why did his movement suddenly disappear before he truly felt it?

Those tears in her eyes did make his heart a little tighter. But they never got a chance to actually drip on his heart. They just evaporated without a slight trace of salt.

He did have a yearning for family and happiness once before. His parents' figures clinging to each other were solidified into a mysterious and beautiful crystal in his eyes. - But the crystal was finally smashed to pieces, and was never able to repair again.

Unable to reconcile, unable to yield. So he hated, he certainly hated everything. His hatred not only tormented his soul, but eventually became the soul itself. It was not only to his gentle and cruel brother, but also to the mocking fate that compelled him to reconcile and yield.

He can certainly not! How could he!

But for a man, he succumbed at the end. To Naruto and the village and the world.

And at the moment of his surrender, there was something lying dead inside him.

As a symbol, he accepted Sakura, a woman that the whole world request him to love. Sakura was a political bridle on the neck of Uchiha family. Sakura was a gift sent out by Sakura herself, a valuable gift whose repayment had been designated. Whether it was a bridle or a gift, he can only accept. It was obviously not fair to her, but he was too lazy to choose another way of life rather than drowning into the absurd misfortune along with her.

And his new and tinkered life was no longer mysterious or beautiful, but an ugly, mediocre, long, and unpleasant postiche with occasional brightness.

Until... Until -

He felt pain in his chest and suddenly opened his eyes.

At the moment, Sarada was about to cover him with blankets. She did not seem to predict that her father would wake up, so her movement out of kindness was immediately stiff. She blinked with dismay, then threw the blanket on him, stubbornly moving away her black eyes.

The carriage rattled with a slight bump. Sasuke looked at his own daughter, and her distant eyes after her lenses. He suddenly found that she had really grown up. She was a sixteen-year-old girl.

He cannot help but study her carefully as if it was his first time to really discover this fact. Sarada was born with black hair and eyes, but her face was just like younger Sakura. It surprised him that the time has passed for so many years without him knowing it.

Feeling weird to be stared, Sarada glanced at him and whispered: "Excuse me... but is there anything strange about me? "

\- Sasuke agreed to leave Konoha the very night, so she laid down her mind about the Hinata. She was now more nervous than angry because of the awareness that she herself killed father's bird.

Sasuke looked at her. He got a lot of hidden words, but ended up saying, "You'd better sleep now. As a ninja, you must know how to keep strength."

Naruto yawned and walked out of the library. He worked days and nights these days, so had to go to the kitchen to get some coffee. Seeing his daughter Himawari sitting on the sofa and looking out the window when passing through the living room, he asked with laughter:

"Why don't you sleep, my little ninja?"

It was late at night, but the little girl had not even a bit of a sleepy look. She turned her head and smile at her father's yawning face: "Daddy, the big Ninja like you doesn't go to bed, so do I."

Naruto, pretending to be angry, held her in arms and rubbed her warm hair: "Of course our big Ninjas must stay up, so that you kids can get to sleep tight, don't you?"

Himawari laughs in his arms, twisted her body, and held his arms at last, relying in his wide and warm arms: "I'm not sleepy, and I'm so happy to see daddy at home that I don't need any dream, either!"

"You little excuses!" Naruto put his chin on her head and laughed happily.

He had a stubble on his chin, so Himawari felt a little itchy but satisfied as well, and her little hands clutched his sleeves.

Naruto was almost a stranger to her since she was born. Boruto often complained that he had been ignored since primary school, but in fact, Himawari didn't have any memory of father's accompany at all .

The days like now in which she can meet Naruto and act like a spoiled child in his arms, was just a dream that she had given up long time ago.

She couldn't help looking out the window to the quiet moon, and said with a sign, "Daddy, why do you change? You've never been so nice to me before."

Naruto was stunned. Her words hit his chest with pain. He thought a little and smiled bitterly: "maybe... It's because you dad is a fool that can't learn a lesson until he experienced it personally."

Himawari shook her head, and her soft hair rubbed on him, "Daddy, you're not a fool - if it is so, our village will suffer."

"Thank you for your praise!" He laughed, and then quieted down, using fingers to slowly smooth her hair. "Himawari... Do you hate me for your mother? You see, Boruto has not yet forgiven me."

Himawari got silent. Those thoughts appeared when she was alone had come back in her mind again. There were Hinata's sadness, Sasuke's smile, Sakura's tears, and Sarada's anger.

At last, she put her soft hands on her father's rough ones, with her eyes looking at the cool, gentle moonlight. She said in a comforting tone:

"I think it's good for you and mom to separate like this. So you can all be free, aren't you?

"But what about you?" Naruto frowned, "don't you need your family?"

"Me..?" Himawari paused a little and smiled, "I don't need nothing. I shall grow up."

Naruto looked down at her quiet appearance and there was clenched pain attacked his heart. How could a young kid like her understand the feeling of enjoying the moon in the midnight? But she took after Hinata too much.

One of his bitterest emotions was surging in the heart, but he ended up holding her tight and whispering softly: "Himawari, my pumpkin, you really need to sleep, OK?"


	27. Chapter 26

26

After Uchiha Sasuke left, Hyuga Hinata lived as usual.

Every one or two weeks, she went to see Himawari and Naruto. Sometimes she went with Himawari to fly kites, sometimes she went to teach Naruto to make miso soup. She wouldn't left until the sunset. If Naruto was going to send her, she would refused him gently by reminding him of the soup pot boiling on the stove. They two reached a balance: Drink the same wine but drink not from one cup; Eat the same bread but eat not from the same loaf.

On the other days she got lots of work as well. Sometimes Hanabi will come to see her in mountain, and sometimes she will go to wipe the tombstone of Neji, and sometimes she will walk long paths to the small shop by herself.

She planted a lot of flowers around her own wooden house. When she had nothing to do, she squatted in the garden to wait the silent soil growing out of the buds and flowers, and some of them withering in accordance with the time.

She carefully handled the pruning, in order to make sure those flowers would blossom the next year.

Finally, every night before going to bed, she routinely fed the fish in the Sasuke pond, which is the sign of the end of the day.

Her days thus were very idle, but also substantial.

Whenever the night fell its veil, she always stayed awake and sat next to her window, looking at the moon, . Maybe the disease will sober people up. Maybe she just wants to steal more time from death. She in the heart silently dived in her deep sea, swimming in the memory belonging to a man with black eyes and black hair. The moon was full or crescent, but always reminded her of the moonlight floating in his eyes.

At this time, Sasuke often enjoyed the moon and drank as well.

The work of a drill instructor was not suitable for him at all. But now that he had accepted it, he would not absent the job. His daily routine was to read the documents from Daimyo, set up loads of extremely difficult tasks to the graduates, and then let them go. Counseling? Games? activities? Sorry, but there's simply no such thing under his supervision.

His brutal policy called "practice or die" really made the graduates, who grew up in peace and the love of their parents, suffered a lot. But they were deeply in awe of his powerful eyes and Jutsu, so there was no way but to obey, while complaining him as the "Oni master" in private.

But this method was also effective. The graduates were gradually becoming into qualified ninjas who were able to deal with all kinds of situations in an orderly manner.

The life of garrison was hard and boring. Leaving family and friends, overwhelmed by impossible missions, all the graduates couldn't get any amusement except the cost-free gossip. It was reasonable that the relationships of the Twelve Ninjas became their favorite entertainment.

In this cases, Sasuke and Sakura had been discussed too much and therefore became a cliche, but the relationship between the Hokage couple was totally new and exciting topic.

So the graduates will talk about they two every night. In particular, there was a messenger from the Konoha to the boarder every few weeks, and he or she will bring some latest developments of Mr. and Mrs. Hokage, which made them more vigorous. They would even even talked about them in the daytime and in front of Sasuke.

Sasuke repeatedly banned them yet never worked. These teenagers were more hard-working to defend their freedom of speech than practice their Ninjutsu. It turned out that he himself got a pile of useless information, such as how they two met and knew each other, how she confess to him, how was their wedding like and how often would she visit him after the separation. Sasuke doubted that the messenger was not here for sending Hokage's orders, but for finishing his paparazzi duty.

He really got no interest to listen to the ridiculous information. But somehow, once he heard it, it was hard for him to forget. Thanks to his damn good faculty of memory, the graduates will receive more tasks on the second day. It was better for him to get these guys deadbeat and shut up.

As for the Uzumaki Boruto who was in the center of public opinion, he was furious for this matter several times, but his friends would only retrain themselves for three minutes before returning to the old behaviors.

Boruto was finally used up his patience, and simply moved out of the student camp. He bivouacked next to Sasuke's room, and Sasuke, who has always been very tolerant to him, decided to keep him into his own house.

Sarada and Boruto were partners of the task team. When she first came to Boruto, she hit the Sasuke and said awkwardly: "I'm here to call Boruto out of the task."

The second time when she arrived, she met Boruto at the door, who was going to point mosquito coils, and then shifted her words: "I'm here looking for my father."

At last, she felt too tired to insist her duplicity. So every time when entered the room, she said: "I come to see you guys."

The first time when she walked into the house and said such words, she felt nothing but embarrassed; but gradually, the sentences became very natural. Her father's indifferent nodding, and her teammate's happy giggles seemed to be a part of her everyday life, and maybe the good part of it.

Uchiha Sasuke himself had gradually become closer to his daughter, who he had never been familiar with before.

These days were not all of dull for sure, but still far from what he really wanted.

The only way for Sasuke to recover a moment's peace was to walk into the depths of the jungle in the midnight, watched the moon, while drinking a bottle of sake by himself.

However, the moonlight that used to wave away all his distracting thoughts was now hard for him to concentrate on.

If the wine was cold, he would think of someone that warmed it carefully on the stove; If the wine was hot, he would on the other hand think about someone who went to the brook in the forest to cool it down.

The trifles he would never pay attention to before, now became all kinds of exclamation marks hidden in all kinds of corners of his memory.

And all of those thoughts were related to a woman who were willful and stubborn in front of him, yet sacrifice even her breath to all the other people. He never missed her till they bidded terrible farewell to each other.

She broke into his life without permission, and then deserted him at the very last minute. No matter whether it is because of Naruto, or because of fear for crossing the boundary, it will not be changed the nature of her action. -- "betrayal".

That was the most unacceptable crime to him.

From the past to now, he got only one solution called severance to the traitors.

But at this moment, he was even unable to kill the reflection of her pearl eyes in the moonlight.

He was even unable to stop this useless moon-watching that could brought nothing but misery.


	28. Chapter 27

27

For Hyuga Hinata, time was shorter and quicker than the quicksand leaking from fingers. Summer and autumn ended before anybody perceived and detained. In winter, the trees in the forest all became quiet for they had less leaves, and even the birds did not sing as well.

Fortunately, since the beginning of the new year's preparation last week, Konoha was noisy every day. Even Hinata, who lived in the mountain, can occasionally hear people's happy sound, which cheerfully made her feel a kind of New Year's atmosphere.

On this day, somehow, may be for the cold temperature, she fell asleep before the afterglow dissolved. It was not normal for her, a patient, to be held by the dreams easily.

But she dreamed. She opened her eyes for the first time, and stared at her X ray film in front. The other side of the desk sat the doctor in silence. This was the day she conformed her diagnosis.

The shining black-white film displayed her liver lesions conclusively. Through the contact lens used as a camouflage, she found that she had never seen her world so clearly till this very moment. - For more than thirty years, it was the first time that everything she wanted to hide and ignore had disclosed the truth in front of her. It was not destiny, but merely a friendly truth.

The doctor's voice was heard in her ears, but she can only remember some vague sentences:

"The liver cancer could usually be caused by depression and stress."

"Please tell your family as soon as possible, and discuss this matter with them."

"We can gain time together but the spread speed is not optimistic."

She walk out of the diagnostic room, and walked out of the building, and walked out of the hospital. Hyuga Hinata walked at a very slow pace in the subconsciously good manner, but finally at the flower bed next to the door of the hospital she crouched and cried.

Her elegant demeanor disappeared, and she didn't care about the surprised eyes of the surrounding people no more. She cried as if all the water inside her body would dry away by tears.

But when she got up again, the first feeling jumping from her empty mind was relaxed .

It was the ease of releasing from prison, and the ease that she didn't expect since childhood.

She did not have the talent of Ninjutsu, so she told herself in her heart always: Do not cause trouble, do not disturb anyone, and do not care about yourself as long as you can make others satisfied.

After marriage, she warned herself more forcefully. She knew that she got the marriage because of Naruto's gratitude and guilt, so there were many words that she dare not to tell him. In fact, if she can speak them out, many problems may not be the problems at all. However, she had been too accommodating that she could not take further kneeling on the ground and give him more humbleness.

So she finally chose to be a woman "cared for others" and "did not need any care". Intentionally or unconsciously she even refused her husband's "care". This is the pride inherited from the name of Hyuga in her blood. She was timid yet retaining too much pride.

It was wrong for her to accept his proposal out of everything but love. But it would be wronger to end their relationship disregarding the consequences: The Hyuga family she cherished and Konoha Naruto loved, even the fragile balance between country and country. She did not have the courage to choose the end.

Only to keep on, to persist, and sink in the love, the silence and the shame to him. Days after days and years after years, she kept living until being alive itself had become a torment.

But now she was finally going to die. From the sentence of death, she suddenly realized that this was the answer and the cure for her dilemma.

Knowing this truth, she suddenly stopped all her fear.

She had a plan. A plan that did not need to consult with her family, or should not discuss with her family. A plan to help her and Naruto both to escape from this beautiful yet sad masque to the realm of freedom.

In the afternoon of making the decision, she went to trim her bangs. The thick bangs used to be the defensive lines for her to hide and evade, but now it didn't seem necessary at all.

The barber smiled and asked, "Is there anything good happen today?"

She also smiled and looked at her face in the mirror, "Yes, today is the happiest day of my life."

And then, it was the second time when Hinata opened her white eyes.

She looked out of the window and realized that it was the next morning. She weirdly slept a whole night. And she heard it was noisier than usual in the village.

She got up and stretched out with a little surprise. When she pushed the door open, the cold and refreshing air came into her cabin. A robe of silver decorated the woods and the garden in front of her door. The roof of the Uchiha house was covered with thick snow as well.

This was the first snow this winter.

Walking out of the door, Hinata looked down the mountain, and saw people bustling on the biggest road in the village; She looked up to the Hokage mountain on the other side, and found there hung a large-to-exaggerated notice banners across the mountainside, which was written obviously by their Hokage: Welcome home!

She thought a minute and understood.

It was for the graduates who had left their hometown for a long time. They caught on New Year's eve and returned to the village timely.

When the conclusion appeared, she felt a long lost feeling from her quiet and calm heart.

It was like pierced by wooden thorn into the palm when rubbing the window sill. She got no way to pulled it out, only to allow herself get stung and let her trembling hands raise the dust of her buried memories.


	29. Chapter 28

28

The the entrance of the biggest road was filled with people. Countless fathers, mothers, friends, brothers and lovers were all waiting and looking forward to the return of those young Ninjas.

At this time, the shadow of the carriage appeared from far away, and the dust coming from the wheels seemed to be too impatient to wait, too.

After the carriage stopped, young people came out from the wagons and the crowd rushed up to welcome them. People screamed all kinds of names and clustered the children in the middle.

"Sarada! Here, here! " Uchiha Sakura took off her heavy work and asked the hospital for a day off. She now also stood in the crowd, shouting at the black-haired girl when her eyes caught her own daughter.

Uchiha Sarada seemed to be looking for her mother's figure as well. When they two finally met, a smile showed on her indifferent face, and some tears in her eyes: "Mom, happy New Year... I'm back! "

"Welcome back, my heart...!" Sakura choked a little and raised her hand to touch Sarada's cheek, feeling her skin a bit rough. Her childishness was less than it was before, too.

Then she naturally started wondering, "why is your father not here?"

But Sarada seemed to understand her father well: "He always dislikes the bustling scene. Maybe he bypasses by himself. Don't worry, you'll see him later. "

Sakura didn't expect that her daughter would be more familiar with the style of Sasuke than herself. She stunned a little, and could not help smiling. "Uh...Sure! You're right! "

At the very beginning, she proposed to Naruto to let Sasuke take the lead, only to make him and Sarada have more opportunities to improve relations. Today, it was indeed her pleasure to see her wish come true.

Sasuke, as Sarada said, jumped out of the carriage before it arrived and walked alone. Now he stood behind the branches of the tall shrubs on the side of the road, away from the annoying noise, watching at the reunion of Sakura and Sarada.

When he saw Sakura's beautiful face blooming with smile, his heart could not help getting touched. No matter what, Sakura was his wife and the mother of his daughter. He started to learn to miss his family thanks to Sarada.

Then a bright orange hair leaped into his eyes.

Among the crowd, Uzumaki Naruto walked to his son with big steps. Two people who had always been very cheerful seemed did not know how to speak for a long time. Naruto patted on the shoulder of Boruto, smiling. At this time, Himawari also came up and rushed into her brother's arms.

And the young kid who always appeared to be rebellious in front of his father, buried his head, with one hand holding Himawari, the other hand quickly rubbing his wet eyes. When he looked up again, he changed into the bright smile as usual.

Sasuke quietly looked at the two of them. A faint smile showed on his faces.

"Eh?" Boruto dried up his tears and immediately recovered his happy and loud voice. The voice directly overshadowed all the sound around, even Sasuke can hear him clearly: "Where's mom? I haven't seen her yet! "

Then a thin voice, consistent with the gentleness, chuckling: "I'm here, Boruto."

It was strange that her voice was so small, but he still heard it clearly. Her voice knocked on his ears, and seemed to be connected to his painful chest.

Sasuke wanted to move away his eyes, but he did not.

A woman approached Naruto. Her geta hit the ground. She wore a light purple kimono, and her two white hands folded in front of her body. A large, thick white fur shawl buried her arms and even half of her body. She stood beside her husband meekly, and her face was accidentally concealed by the leaves and branches full of snow.

With a slight movement, he could see her face. but Sasuke stood still. It seemed that he didn't want to see her face at all. But he couldn't leave, either. He just stared at her ten fingers pressing the white fur.

Her fingers were round and delicate, becoming a little red with coldness. The nails were manicured into a neat and elegant oval shape, painted a thin layer of light pink enamel.

But Sasuke had never seen her paint her nails in the past, because it would be inconvenient to cook.

At this time, Naruto's hand suddenly came over, pulling her hand and holding it in his big palm. She didn't struggle, answering it obediently.

Almost immediately, Sasuke move his eyesight aside and turned away, heading towards the opposite direction of the crowd.

In the empty field of vision, there was only hollow snow-white. His footsteps kept on. There was a tardy question in his mind.

\-- How does this woman eat right now?

He always agreed that eating was a waste of time and this question was very boring.

The answer lies in the next corner of his thoughts, but he didn't want to find it.

There is a needling-like pain attacking his heart that has been stable for a long time, fast and all of sudden.


	30. Chapter 29

29

At noon, Uzumaki family and Uchiha family gathered together and entered the Izakaya.

The reunion was initiated by Naruto. He remembered that the two families were happily together at the graduation ceremony, so proposed to do it again. It's surprised that Sarada and Boruto, who had always looked at each other very disagreeable, did not give a single objection.

"Em," Naruto sat in the middle, lifted up a glass of wine. He cleared his throat, intending to show the dignity of the Hokage, but it seemed that he was still the ordinary friend of everyone. "First, let's welcome our Sarada and Boruto coming back home! Congratulate them for the successful completion of the task!"

Sarada and Boruto all laughed. Sakura and Himawari applauded enthusiastically, and Hinata smiled and clapped her hands gently.

In the applause, Naruto was in a high mood: "Then, let's announce the trip of the day: We eat our lunch, and then go to the malls to buy you three little guys new clothes for the new year. and wait until the evening we all have dinner together, is that okay?"

To be able to go out with everyone, Boruto was naturally satisfied. He laughed and poked Sarada with his elbow: "Sarada, will you come? You must come!" He had been old enough to be a professional Ninja, but now still laughed like a child.

If it had been before, Sarada must have given him a punch, but now she just glared at him with anger, and hummed, "You should really look at how silly your face is...! And, nobody said I wouldn't come with you, OK? "

Having no idea about the things happened between them in this half of the year, Sakura and Naruto were very surprised to find they get along well with each other. Sakura and Naruto directly look at Sasuke, the only witness here for information. However, the crow-hair man ignored the four eyes as he always did, just drinking his tea indifferently.

The dishes was ordered by Naruto and got served after a short time. He liked western fast food these years, but now he actually ordered a lot of sushi and sashimi, and even put up a bowl of ramen that he had not eaten for a long time.

Looked at his father attentively looking after his mom, and the woman who did not refuse, eating the sushi he gave one by one, Boruto really got surprised, "Oh, ah... Really, I was kind of scared now."

His words coming out, all the people at the table laughed aloud, except the unconcerned Sasuke and the always-smiling Hinata.

Naruto blushed and coughed, pulling aside the topic: "There are a bunch of things your don't know... Your mom planted a lot of flowers in front of her cabin. You should let her take you to see it some other time. "

"Hey, mom, you started to grow flowers again?" Obviously, Boruto didn't expect this, "Isn't it boring to do it by yourself? And won't it be tiring?"

Heard his questions, Hinata put down her chopsticks and gently whispered, "I think it's great if a person can see flowers. It's like getting accompanied by them."

Others had no personal experience in the situation she talked, so they can only agree with her out of politeness. Only Sasuke, who kept his silence and drank his tea, looked at her quiet face from the edge of the cup and showed a little complicated emotion in his dark eyes.

Hinata seemed to notice his eyes, but her pearl white eyes slid away like nothing happened.

The atmosphere started to be weird, and Sarada suddenly smiled: "My mother used to love growing flowers, too, though they never lived long. Hinata auntie, you can invite her later to do the work together." Left for a long time, she seemed to have unraveled the knot of her heart to Hinata. So she brought Sakura that was kind to Hinata in her memory, in order to help Hinata.

Sakura was staring at Sasuke's face with a strange expression when hearing her daughter calling her name. She shocked as if got scared. With her eyes loitered on the faces of Hinata, Sasuke and Sarada, and finally picked some words to say, grudgingly smiling, "Me? I... I can't even grow a cactus. "

Naruto burst out of laughter: "Hahahaha! Our Sakura clearly should go to work a mine rather than a flower!"

Sakura glared at him, and suddenly stretched out one hand, grabbing his golden hair and pulling it forcefully. "Oh really? Then let me work your brain out first, what do you think?!" The panic and doubts in her eyes quickly disappeared.

When everyone talked, the meal was almost finished, but Naruto was still not full. He sat there thinking for a while, and suddenly said to Boruto with smile: "A sixteen-year-old is a man now. Son, do you want to drink with your dad?"

After being separated from Hinata, he gradually learned to balance his family life and heavy work, so he gave Himawari as much love as he can, and made up his mind to make up for his neglect of his son.

Boruto were very surprised to get a invitation of adults. He pressed their joy in his heart and put on a look of reluctance: "OK, OK, it's a son's duty to accompany his father anyway!"

The two therefore started to drinking. Naruto taught Boruto to play some strange Morra games, and Boruto made a big picture of his heroic deeds of their border defence, but Sarada told every truth when he tried to boast, making everyone laugh again.


	31. Chapter 30

30

The bottle on the table will soon be empty, but it was catching up with the busiest time in the Izakaya, even if the Hokage sama can barely get any special care. Seeing this scene, Hinata who sat aside by herself stood up and went to fetch some wine.

But as soon as her footsteps stopped in front of the counter, she suddenly hurriedly turned and ran outside the restaurant.

When opened the door curtain, she could no longer take care of her posture, only to clutched her mouth and staggered into the small bathroom side of the shop. A gust of nausea in the stomach made her vomited all of the food she just ate.

Since autumn, her illness had gradually reached an irretrievable level. She had been using chakra to suppress the meridians today, but it was not a permanent solution after all.

With fingers clutching at the washing table beside, Hinata felt dizzy, and the pain more severe than usual attacked her strongly.

Suddenly, a cold voice came from the other side of the door: "Are you alright?"

After six months or more, the first sentence he said to her was such a plain greeting.

And there were so many people in the world, why is here only he himself coming to ask her alright or not?

Her heart was a glass filled with water, placed safely and silently without a trace of shaking till the finality. But he used only three words to make the glass fall to the ground, cracking the vermilion water and the sharp fragments everywhere.

Is that your business? -- The answer in her heart was so vexatious, was the kind of vexation never shown in front of others but only him.

However, in the end, Hinata just smiled lightly, pulling out the pieces of her heart one by one, saying, "Sure, I am very fine."

The man outside the door was completely immune to her polite camouflage, and his voice got colder: "Is the Taijyustu you learned from Hyuga clan only have this kind of stupid usage?"

"And that's..." Gnawing her teeth and suffering pain, she smiled, "not what you Uchiha clan should concern."

With this sentence, she clenched her fist and her nails fell into her palm. She left only a confronting silence to him. In the silence far away from the noise near by, Sasuke's breathing penetrated the thin door plank and fell into her ears so clearly, making her fingers kept shaking.

In the end, it was he who conceded the useless pride first. He answered with something like irritation or the opposite emotion: "What are you talking about?"

Sakura sat on her seat, but her heart left the door with Sasuke. In fact, her mind was always attached to him, so she was acutely aware of his unusual behavior. It was just a corner, a distance less than ten meters, and it would be totally fine for her to follow and see. -- However, from his hasty back, she inexplicably sniffed a smell of forbidden. It was too familiar because that was what he gifted her most in her whole memory.

At that moment, Sasuke returned from the corner. His face was still cold, but there was indeed an anomaly behind the coldness.

Naruto saw that he came back with empty hands, put the cup on the table and waved to him with a bit of drunkenness: "Sasuke, I thought you were going out to help, but you came back with nothing?"

Naruto's elbow waved and inadvertently touched Hinata's shawl on the back of the chair. The white fur was about to fall on the ground before Sasuke's foot. He immediately bent down to reach it. The unconscious agility revealed undisguised cherishing. Before reacted, he had already put it on his elbow naturally, as if linking a gentle arm.

His tall figure with black cloak was born with a force of oppression, so this sudden bending surprised everyone more than usual. It was just picking up a cloth, but people felt uncomfortable in their hearts.

Naruto was stunned as well. He stretched out his long arm to catch the shawl and laughed, "Sasuke, give it back to me, it's so strange to see you take it!"

In front of his friend's smiling face, with the shawl that can't surrender nor preserve, hearing Naruto's joke that was harsh for no reason at all -- all the things echoed each other made his anger pressurized: "Do you get enough?"

However, the Hokage sitting opposite, who had long been used to his bad temper, did not notice the terrible situation. He stood up with a smile and pulled Sasuke's arm: "Not at all! Come on, you sit down! I haven't drunk with you!"

Sasuke abruptly shook off Naruto's hand and shouted: "How the hell could you ignore the person by your side?! Don't you know she --"

Sasuke's line suddenly stopped in the middle.

But the effect was so good that all the people in the Izakaya were frightened. Guests around those seven or eight tables were all shut up together and stared at each other, but they dare not even see the dangerous man who was being angry. The whole restaurant sunk into silence.

Uchiha Sasuke had not used such a loud voice for a long time, and this short half sentence caused an earthquake in the heart of Naruto.

Although his best friend was sensitive and sharp enough to see through all the truth ordinary people can't see, he was too proud to take care of others' business. So Naruto knew that there was definitely a huge mistake he had made, or Sasuke wouldn't show attitude.

But where is wrong? --He could not figure it out at all.

In the past year, he had been constantly changing himself. He only hoped to make up for the mistakes he made and let his family life return to the right track again. But there was always a weird sense of loss. It was just like learning Ninjutsu at his young age, he constantly fell back into the awkward situation of misunderstanding only because of losing the most critical point.

However, this time there was no Kakashi, who would always picked up his eyebrows and answer the questions. Even the gentle wife who was always standing by his side refused to give any hint with her gentle smile. It was a mystery that only belongs to Uzumaki Naruto, and it appeared in every corner of his mind, in the tiredness to balance his work and his family; he would not give up, and stick to move forward, but the answer was still nowhere.

Sasuke swallowed the sentence back in his stomach and stared at Naruto's puzzled face, and the irritable feeling grew even stronger in the chest.

From the very beginning, he told himself to follow his own loneliness and never mind others' affairs. It was true that Hinata concealed her important truth, but there was no need nor position for him to exposed it, against her free will.

If she was mentally ill and mentally abnormal, if she must be so self-abused and play the naive hide-and-seek game with her husband. Then what does it have to do with others?

\-- She wants to suffer, she wants to endure, and she got what she deserved! Uchiha Sasuke, What does it have to do with you?!

The nameless anger rose suddenly, and he did not want to spend any second in this place:

"Don't you want to buy clothes? Let's go. "

He was going to turn around leave when finding her shawl still on his arm. -- stupid shawl, stupid woman! He scolded in the heart, but eventually draped it back on the chair back like before.

Looking at Sasuke's back, Sarada was the first to respond and and hurry to catch him up behind.

But Sakura, who had always been the most interested in Sasuke than anyone, sat down in her own seat, and her rosy cheek turned pale at the moment.

When looked at her, Naruto could not help frowning, trying to comfort, "Sakura, don't be unhappy, okay? You know Sasuke, he has his own temper like that..."

Sakura suddenly stood up, and smiled a little unnaturally: "Yeah, you are right. Sure you're right. "

As she spoke, she tried to remove her gaze from the shawl. The snow-white, quiet shawl stayed at where it was. Even the decorating silk fillet was facing the direction like Hinata put before.


	32. Chapter 31

31

"Dad! Wait a minute! "

Uchiha Sarada ran to catch up with her father. The footprints on the snow were messed up by her hurried paces.

When the man's footsteps stopped a little bit, she got to him and took a little breath and said to him, "Dad, you should really change your way of talking and finish your words to Naruto san, if you want him to understand..." In her mind showed the her mother's incredulous face, so she added with a sigh. "And also to mom. you need to explain,too. I felt that she... thought things wrong way. "

Sasuke swept her daughter with indifferent eyes, but there was an uneasy anger in his indifference: "what do you want me to 'explain' to them?"

But Sarada didn't get angry because of his attitude. She avoided his sharp eyes and reluctantly answered: "You can say whatever you want to say... don't you? I want you to express your true self ...and it's good for us all. "

"..." Sarada's sentimental face fell into his eyes, and the anger of his heart was suddenly reduced. Silent for a moment, Sasuke sighed slightly, saying, "Sarada, I have my own reason to keep silent. There are a lot of situations that you don't know, neither would you understand. "

The girl with black hair and black eyes bit her lips and raised her head to look at the man in front of him.

He was unpredictable. He was isolated. He was not nothing like that easy-going and optimistic Hokage. But after more than half a year of observation and coexistence, she can confirm that this person, who often made her headache, was her father.

So she looked at Sasuke's eyes frankly and said earnestly:

"Maybe I can not know nor understand, but I believe you. Because I know my father is not a sneaking person. I believe Naruto san and mom would agree. So please, Dad...!"

Sasuke stared at her speaking with a strong voice. His heart shook suddenly and strongly.

Such a mood was totally unfamiliar to him. Because he did not see or accompany Sarada's first standing up, first walking, first smiling, first tearing, even the first time she went to school.

Absent from her daughter's entire childhood, perhaps at this moment, Sasuke really had the feeling of being a father for the first time.

Just then, Sakura slowly came over and stood by them. She didn't even say hello, only looked at the ground under her feet. In her eyes, the white snow was crushed by people's footprints, turning into a muddy dirt.

"Sakura," Sasuke looked at her pale face for a moment, and said in a very gentle voice, "Let's go... Let's walk and talk together."

Sakura raised her head in dismay. Seeing her husband's face, which had always been in the indifferent shell but showed a few tenderness now, in her green eyes rekindled the light of hope. She took courage to hold his arm and nodded with rosy cheeks, "OK, I'm listening."

"You and me..." He picked up his words, but did not know how to continue. He was used to kill and bury the weakness in his heart from an early age, but now it was time to let the corpse expose again. "We have known each other for a long time."

"Yes." She shyly sipped her lips and nodded.

"I'm not good to you these years. I'm wrong, and maybe... It was wrong from the beginning. " He spoke slowly, with a deep voice, and Sakura's gorgeous face gradually changed back to gray.

But Sasuke was determined to finish: "so, I have decided that when the new year vacation ended, we should div-"

"Wait! Wait- Don't say anything now...! I just.. have to ask you this... " She interrupted him and lowered her head, , and felt the tears in her eyes was about to drop. "Why did you accept the mission of the drillmaster? Why did you... Let someone else into your kitchen? And why did you quarrel with Naruto? "

-She finally asked out. For a long time, these problems had floated around her like a mist, but been repressed down by her every time. At the end, it was finally asked.

Sasuke looked down at the Sakura beside him for a long time, as if seeing the young girl with long hair. He took a deep breath, ready to be honest, "I did these because-"

"Oh! you don't have to say it!" However, Sakura suddenly interrupted him again, raised her head with a particularly embarrassing smile. She rubbed her tears clean, knocked her head with one hand, laughing with self mockery, "Ha-ha! You knew me, always worrying too much! Sasuke, you will think me a narrow-minded woman, right? I am really not. I changed! It's only because I haven't seen you for too long! Come, let's go and buy clothes for Sarada! "

She dragged his arm, and her eyes did not look at his face. She laughed and ran like a little girl, like a child, telling herself jokes because she was afraid of the ghosts in the night.

If it was in the past, he would have thrown away Sakura's hands and immediately said what he wanted to say. That's what Uchiha Sasuke will do to "the others". But she was no longer "the others" to him after all.

So now he was dragged by her and ran with her, with sad and silent eyes looking at her.

When came out of the bathroom, Hinata saw Naruto standing at the door, wearing Himawari a hat and a scarf.

Naruto turned his head and saw his wife come out with a confused expression. He showed a bitter smile and tried to explain: "Ah, just now, Sasuke... Well, uh... He tell me to stop drink and to buy clothes for Himawari as soon as possible. Come here, Hinata, your shawl is here. "

Hinata stood a while before walking slowly towards her husband. Naruto wrapped her shawl over her, held her hand, and laughed, "Hinata chan, let's walk and talk together."

Himawari had run to find Boruto, leaving only two of them on the road. They stepped on the snow, holding hands and moving slowly forward.

When looked down at her feet parallel with Naruto's, she suddenly said softly, "I almost forgot. Naruto, you are always such a happy and warm person since we met. "

"Am I?" Naruto was a little drunk, answering happily.

She nodded with a melancholy smile: "But you're no longer the same being with me."

"No, no! How could you think like this?" Naruto hurriedly stopped, turned to face her and said eagerly, "I've been very happy with you- I'm the happiest man in the world! "

"Thank you," Hinata raised one head, touching off a little snow on her husband's hair tip. "But I felt sorry... for all the time. For I robbed your freedom, and your happiness."

Naruto was frightened by her words. He ignored the crowd and shouted, "what are you talking about, Hinata?! It is clearly my fault, isn't it? I was too stupid before... I did not know how to cherish you and our home. I made you sad - But I will protect you and take care of you in the future! "

"Naruto... If you and I were in jail, "Looking at his painful face, her heart gashing with infinite gentleness and sadness, and all of the pieces showed in her memory, portraying her loving him wholeheartly when she was young- and perhaps till now. But the "past" and the "now" was two shackles to him no matter what." at least let's leave the cage together,all right? "

"Hinata..." He was deeply hurt by the pain in her white eyes. His lips were white and her throat was trembling. "Aren't we... loving each other? "

Hinata looked at his face quietly. This face was very different from the childish youngsters in memory. And she was not the same cowardly small girl, either. Then she raised her two cold and moist hands, holding her husband's handsome face, "- Naruto, guess what? I was wondering what will our relationship change into from the beginning..." She continued her words gently, as if revealing the mystery of their life at last. " But actually it won't change. The friendship between you and me would only become a deeper or deepest friendship. It's just.. not changing. "

The conclusion suddenly caught him in a panic.

Although he had a savagery instinct, he did not use this ability to dissect his ordinary life; the delight of life itself for him was its obscureness in the chaos. But at this moment, she was peeling the skin of the life with gentle fingers, exposing the hidden core naked. Even the little secret he thought he had buried in the deep, black sea was also pointed out, softly, yet resolutely.

"I... I am sorry.. "Naruto gave a stiff voice, and his throat was thirsty because of shame." Forgive me, Hinata. Please don't leave.."

She touched his cheeks as a comfort, saying with a warm smile, "I only wish you happy, Naruto. Happier than any one in the world."


	33. Chapter 32

32

With Uchiha family and their parents missing, Boruto gave up his plan in which all the people were supposed to be together and had fun. He was then absent-minded and walked into a big store, holding his sister's hand.

Himawari passed a jewellery counter. The glittering ornaments on display inside the glass attracted her eyes, but her pocket money was thin. She was a little depressed, only to stay there and watched.

Boruto had no interest in these things. He thought about his parents and suddenly laughed to Himawari, "Oh, you know what? I'm shocked by dad that he and mom become so close to each other now! They are even sweeter than I saw when I was a child! "

Himawari's eyes did not move away from the counter. She was silent for a moment and said, "I don't know about the affair of adults."

"Um, sure..." Boruto picked up his eyebrows and recalled, "when I was on the border, I only heard that they were still living apart, which really made me angry. But now, I can tell they are totally fine! "

"..." The girl paused, "Yeah, they are fine."

Boruto felt thrilled and showed a smile, "So don't you think it's time to hurry mom to move back?"

But his sister, who had been indifferent to this topic, suddenly turned back: "It is because they do not live together that the relationship becomes better!"

Boruto was a little surprised. He looked at her with mouth open, "Hima-Himawari, why do you suddenly get angry?" To tell the truth, although Himawari's personality is gentle, but if she really got mad, he would be the one feeling afraid...

She glared at him, and pouted her lips, but her eyes gradually revealed sadness: "Didn't your ever think about the reason why mom and dad didn't live together again? Maybe, maybe they both think it's better to stay like now. "

"What the hell...!" Boruto subconsciously tried to refute, but his words got stuck in his throat when looking at his sister's expression.

It is known that Uzumaki Boruto was an unreasonable troublemaker, but nobody knew the reason why he must be in a bad temper with his parents for the sake of those "trifles" after growing up.

They became both silent. Himawari's azure eyes was sour. The glittering gems and glaze in the counter were slowly mixed into drops of tears in her eyes.

All of a sudden, Boruto ruthlessly rubbed his sister's head. Then he squatted down and carefully looked at the little jewellery and laughed generously, "Himawari, which one do you want? I'll buy it for you! "

Himawari blinked with surprise, and her tears fell down. Suddenly she turned around and hugged her brother's neck. Her nose was grumbled and mind was wayward: "Then, I want the most expensive one..."

Boruto could not help laughing. He raised a hand to touch her little head buried in his shoulders, sighing, "You little Elf... OK! Let's wrap it up! "

"Sasuke, I want this one. What do you think?" Sakura brought out a cashmere dress in pale pink, comparing it to her tall, slender body, laughing at the Sasuke beside her. Although she was already in her 30s, she was still a beautiful woman with excellent figure, and her pink hair matched with this skirt perfectly like a model in the picture.

Sasuke looked at her carefully and nodded, "Good."

Looking at her parents getting along well, Sarada was somewhat puzzled.

She had decided to believe in her father no matter what, but it turned out to be her mom who started to suspect. It was totally unexpected. In Sarada's memory, Sakura was easily jealous but never really doubted Sasuke falling in love with any other woman. There was a blind confidence in Sakura's heart.

Thinking of this, Sarada carefully observed her mother's face. Mom's obsession with dad was so deep that her smiling face now seemed strange.

At this time, Sakura picked up a long, black wind coat and happily walked to Sarada, putting it on her body: "Sasuke, what do you think?"

Sasuke looked at his daughter and thought, and said, "Good."

His voice was gentle, and the same as his eyes to Sarada and Sakura. His attitude towards Sakura had reached the highest peak in history- He treated his wife equally nice to his daughter. It is incredible that this person will be the lonely and pride Uchiha Sasuke.

However, Sakura suddenly widened her eyes and looked straight at his face, as if saw something that should not be seen from the gentle eyes, and understood an answer that she would rather never understand.

It was this look that took away all the possibility of her self deception and became the last straw to crush all her senses.

She stuffed her clothes into Sarada's hands and whispered to her: "Sarada, help me check out, okay?"

Sarada was somewhat uncertain, but she followed her mother's order to walk away after some hesitation.

Then Sakura turned around and focused her eyes on Sasuke's face. Suddenly, she said coldly, "what do you mean by this look?"

The sudden change in her attitude, and her typical riddle-like "woman's question", both made him confused: "what do you mean by this question?"

But somehow, he felt that he seemed to understand Sakura's meaning very well.

This question was perhaps only asked out to let her topic be able to continue. And let his decision be able to make.

It's like the cold frowning between life and death when they were still young and enemies. He used all the cold words to help her and help himself to make up the mind.


	34. Chapter 33

33

"Now, the emotion in your eyes, when seeing me, is totally the same as you watching Sarada." Uchiha Sakura stared at him with that strange cold face, and then continued with that strange calm tone. "What do you mean doing this to me?"

Sasuke slightly frowned, but sensibly answered, "I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

The answer seemed counterproductive. Sakura sneered, "where did you go at the Izakaya before the quarrel?"

His eyes lit up, chin lifted slightly, and his voice dropped steeply: "That's none of your business."

"Huh really?" She smiled sarcastic, "you met your little whore and I have no right to ask?!"

"Shut up!" With his eyebrows tightened suddenly , Sasuke's face became icy cold. Sharp anger gathered in black eyes: "How dare you!"

Sakura laughed, but the laughter was scary. That beautiful pair of emerald eyes stared at him as if she wanted to cut open his stone-hard heart. "How dare you tell me to shut up! Uchiha Sasuke, do you think I'm stupid? I'm not at all! I'm not blind! I just want to pretend that I can't see! "While screaming, she suddenly took a step up and clung to the clothes of his chest. Her tears fell like pearls. She cried out, like both a resentment and a mourning:

"Do you know or not! You even value a corner of her clothes more than me!"

After a hysterical roar, she can feel nothing but a sharp pain in her chest. She cried and almost couldn't breath. But her hands still clenched his clothes and refused to let go.

She knew that she had screwed up again. Her husband will only leave a sentence "tired of accompanying your farce", then the two of them will repeat the endless trial and war just like what that did in the past decade.

However, Sasuke did not rage. Instead, he sighed gently.

This sigh was entirely unexpected to Sakura. She raised her head in astonishment, facing his gentle eyes.

For Uchiha Sasuke, it was too patient and considerate. He left the world with only indifference coldness. Even the woman he loved had to bear his blades and edges. Only a family can enjoy such a gentle gaze.

But this glory was nothing but a shame for Uchiha Sakura, or Haruno Sakura.

The world thought she wanted gentleness, thoughtfulness and concern. But she herself knew that all she seek for was his sharp and hurtful love.

In a instant, the past suddenly flashed over like a film. Since childhood, she has treated him as if he were a treasure. He liked long hair and she wore long hair. He wanted to revenge and she'd rather go along. He went astray and she stopped him despite of death. She wept for him every night and even became an apple-polisher of him.

She worked hard. Hard-working was her philosophy. Through her efforts, she got everything she could not reach in the past; and Uchiha Sasuke should have been the ultimate reward for her years of hardship. That's what she thought before.

Where is it, however, going wrong? What the hell happened? Why on earth didn't this man love her? Not only did he refuse to love her, he completely negated the "hard work" that she had lived for.

He had no heart nor feelings- she would not mind.

Estrangement, loneliness, pain and supporting this family while raising the offspring of his Uchiha family alone- She would not mind.

Even if he married her only because of the pressure around him, or because of guilt, even if he had no ability to love, even if he had only hatred in his heart,she did not care at all as long as she can still be the nearest woman to him. She at least possessed the Sasuke who did not love anyone.

But now, he gave his love to another woman. The love she spent all she had but could not exchange!

And herself became his "family"?!

How ridiculous... Really, it's too ridiculous!

When Naruto and Hinata entered the shopping mall, they heard many people talking about the new gossip of Sasuke and Sakura. They two hurried to find them, and happened to see Sakura shoved Sasuke away, staggering back two steps. Her face was full of tears, and her eyes glowing with anger. She shouted in hoarse voice :

"You dare to look at me like that again! I'll dig out your Sharingan! "

Almost subconsciously, Naruto stepped forward.

The tearful woman with pink hair, after all, was firmly holding his heart. Her every picture of smile, every drop of tear, was burning on his soul. Uzumaki Naruto was nice to everyone like an instinct; but in the world she was the only one unique. So unique that he would be willing to pay his life to indulge.

However, after taking this step, he remembered that Hinata's hand was still in his palm.

This was the hand of his wife, the hand of the the woman who gave birth to his children.

Hinata looked up to her husband who was trapped in a dilemma. Suddenly, she gently pulled her hand out of his warm palm.

He looked down at her in surprise, and she showed a smile, as if to the lonely boy sitting on the swing in her memory, and said seriously, "Naruto, do you remember your Shinobido? Straight forward and keep your word, right?"

At this moment, reason told him that he mustn't go and shouldn't go just like what he entreated before. But, after all, it was broken. By her long indifference and all refusal, the chain call Kizuna cracked. -The handcuffs that bound both of them broke, and he would never go back. The only two irresistible force in the world are gravity and love. Finally, he began to fall down for his true feeling.

Naruto bit his teeth, thanked her solemnly, and ran to Sakura.

She looked at her husband's back, knowing in her heart that her concealment and struggle had finally got the real reward.

Lowering her eyes, Hinata looked at her hand that once held Naruto. Her fingernails was coated with light polish, only for covering the unhealthy grey produced by the disease. The idea of death suddenly swept through her mind with the silhouette of dying Neji. Looking at her brother's smiling face full of hope and relief, she revealed the same smile:

"Naruto... In fact, I often think how nice would it be, if I could have understood at that moment and left your hand..."

Naruto was sandwiched between Sasuke and Sakura. He grabbed Sakura's arms and talked gently to her.

Sakura ruthlessly shook his hand off, whlie he persevered to catch her. Finally, she tried to punch several fists on him, and then buried her streaming-down face on his shoulder.

Hinata gazed at this boy, this juvenile and this man she loved for half of her lifetime.

She loved him so much that she loves even one of his golden hair, even the part that he didn't love her at all.

But that's all. That's all she can give him. At the same time, her body suddenly felt light and fluttering like a foot man suddenly unloaded all of his burden, and his feet were light enough to lose the last connection with the earth.

Even the lesion in the intercostal space suddenly became painless as if never existed at all.

Naruto patted Sakura crying in his arms. When he looked up, he saw Hinata turn around and walk away step by step.

He seldom saw her back, for most of the time she will stand and wait silently in accordance with the etiquette until everyone scattered.

Somehow, the petite figure made his heart panic. It was like a farewell.

Just then, Sasuke on the other side suddenly stepped forward and walked away, chasing her without looking back.

"Sasuke, where are you going?!" Naruto hurried to shout at him.

"Let him go!" Sakura in her arms suddenly cried out. She was trembling all over her body, and her voice was full of bitter hatred. She repeated it coldly, "Just let him go."

The deeper was her obsessive love at the beginning, the deeper was her poisonous and the irreversible hate now.

Sarada stood in the distance and did not come.

She saw her mother's cry, Hokage's dissuadation, and how the two men left their wives.

But those black eyes did not show the resentment to betrayal as they once did, but some sadness and confusion instead.


	35. -The part of Yukiwarisou- Chapter 34

34

Walking along in the forest, Hinata lowered her head, and her geta stepped on the snow, leaving behind a long series of footprints.

She knew that the man was walking a few steps behind her, but she refused to look back, as if determined to pretend that he did not exist.

However, Sasuke seemed determined to expose her, suddenly asking, "Why don't you tell him?"He had just witnessed this white-eyed woman releasing Naruto, so there was somewhat irritation in his voice.

This question should have been asked from the very beginning. But he never expected that she would really not tell anyone, which made this ridiculous problem a real problem.

Sasuke regarded himself knowing her very well, and this is the only thing he can't figure out. Maybe it's because they were actually different despite of all the similarities.

Hinata felt her footsteps unstable, almost twisting her ankle, but stood firmly in time. She took a deep breath and bit her teeth while walking, "why should I tell him?"

He walked slowly behind with his sharp eyes gazing at her calm back. He started biting his teeth as well, talking like rebuking his stupid graduates, "- Because you are his wife so you should rely on him!"

His angry voice made her more frustrated so she sipped her lips, walking as fast as she can, and did not want to reply any word.

However, no matter how fast she walked, even if her feet started aching and her strength gradually ran out, the wooden geta at her feet, which stuck in the soft snow, could produce no sound. It was quiet like drowning into stagnant water.

The sound that had accompanied her for a long time and brought her all the courage finally disappeared.

She stopped suddenly. The burning anger in her heart disappeared, too. Losing the only heat, she felt nothing but cold. Icy cold.

The emaciated figure in a thick shawl stood in this barren and vast snowy white. It seemed she was possible to evaporate with the snow at any time: "What.. do you know?"

"I'm his wife... There's nothing terrible about death to me because it will bring happiness to him." Her voice was not very loud, and became even more blurred than the wind in the forest covered with snow.

"I could give him everything I have... Everything except for my... Misfortune."

After she had finished speaking, they fell into silence like two solitary birds in the wilderness.

Sasuke stood behind her, staring at the comb decorating beside her bun, and the purple tassels on it, slightly quivering in the wind.

He suddenly found several white hairs in her neat bun.

So he took a step forward. Heard his footstep, Hinata trembled like a frightened bird, speaking loudly: "Do not come!"

But he did not stop walking towards her, slowly yet unobstructed.

"Don't... Come to me...!" She raised her shuddering hands and slowly covered her face. Her dry, white eyes once again produced a burning illusion in the darkness. The pain in the viscera mixed with the feeling of being stabbed by the glass fragments in her heart almost destroyed her.

At the moment he came to her back, she finally failed to support and fell into his arms like a broken-winged butterfly in the wind and rain.

Under ten slender fingers she hid her face and closed her eyes, dare not look at him: "there is... nothing left that I can give you, Sasuke kun."

Hyuga Hinata is too weak, too small and too incapable.

She once indulged herself in reliance on his heat, but it was already wrong. How could she continue the mistake now?

She emptied herself of all her time, and shed all her blood, but they were not enough to love one man. How could she love another one now?

Uchiha Sasuke looked at her silently and his eyes could not be described in language. He looked at her thin wrists showing from sleeves, her white hair on the sideburns, her beautiful but haggard face hidden under fingers, and her painful soul had nothing to rely on.

"You are wrong, Hyuga Hinata." He said slowly, "there is another thing in the world besides giving. It called receiving."

She shuddered with horror. Her ten fingers clenched into two fists, revealing blank white eyes with no reflection of him but something too big to bear in the void. She shook her head: "I... I just can't do it, Sasuke kun. I have no such right, nor do I have the courage."

At that moment, he finally understood why they could hardly separate again as soon as they met each other.

They were two pieces of broken fragments, fighting against everything with madness or gentleness only to cover up their dripping wounds. His complete rejection and her thorough dedication were indeed the same morbidity deep into the bone. He can not afford to offer and she can not brave the accepting, so they made the self deception in vain like two evaders.

Their edges and corners contacted each other. Their flesh and wounds inlaid each other. And their tears and blood melted each other. Those were not lips, but the two of them had already kissed with bleeding souls.

"... I see. "

He answered, then carry her on his back and walked along the road. In just seven or eight months, she was thinner than a feather on his shoulders without any weight.

With the sound of footsteps on the snow, his voice sounded slightly like a unilateral decision made in a simple sentence:

"Then I want your misfortune."

She didn't even have the strength to refuse his help. Her cheek relied on his broad and hard shoulder, and her white eyes looked at the same white blankly, listening to the tiny sound of crushing snow.

This moment seemed to be able to stay long enough to eternity. Their footprints on the ground seemed to be frozen forever in this snow and never disappear.

"I..." She said softly, but struggled with her fingers to grasp the clothes on his shoulder slightly, "won't give it to you."

Sasuke stepped forward and replied lightly, "That's your business."

Hinata gathered her strength to reveal a silent smile: "Do you know? You have always been... So overbearing. And I can't run away every time. My belt was loosed before, and you... helped me even I didn't want "

"Well," he answered, and added, "that's because you are silly."

"You are the silly one okay? ...You made a dead knot... " She answered, and then dazed for a long time before she slowly picked up the next sentence. " I lost my obizime and can't found it at the end. Where.. Where went it? "

Sasuke narrowed his black eyes and answered in a straight voice: "I picked it up and I own it now."

She slightly opened her eyes, then bent her mouth weakly, saying, "Fine... You can have it. But I won't give 'that' to you. "

Listened to her bargaining, Sasuke smiled, "Nice try."

The two of them arrived at the doorway of the house while talking.

As crossing the threshold, he remembered the Iga Yagi he broke up here that night.

It turned out that this limit was so low that it could be easily crossed. If only he could find it earlier.


	36. Chapter 35

35

Hinata was lying in thick quilts in the same room where Wakamurasaki had once lived in. Several sheets of paper were placed on the tea table beside her bedclothes with a brazier on it. Sasuke sat close to her, leaning against the door frame and facing the corridor outside.

Other places in the house were still covered with dust and cobwebs. Only this room and hallway were cleaned out by Sasuke.

The cold air outside made Sasuke's black hair and the eyelashes a little damp, but inside the room the the warm fire made Hinata's face flush and dry.

She folded her hands on her chest and gently held one thing hiding under the collar of kimono -one thing that she carried by her side everyday, thin and light, whispering secret words while she walking.

The smell of tatami was steamed very lightly by hot air, scattering everywhere and infiltrating into her nose.

She looked at the lamp with a square gauze on the ceiling, laughing slowly: "Sasuke kun's Ninjutsu is very suitable for making fire in winter."

Sasuke looked at the frozen pond outside and smiled a little: "Then your Ninjutsu is probably the most suitable type to build the house."

"Can't compare with your fire pot." She smiled, suddenly feeling curious, "What kind of house do you live on the border?"

"We live in a local camp," he answered, "It's also a cabin."

"Really?" She found it interesting, "What are you doing there?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and recalled, "when we first went, I was dealing with mosquitoes every night. It's very humid over there, and the taste of food is strange. However, there are many rare trees. The fireflies are beautiful, too." He gave up his concise style, telling his life with a faint voice, "Life over there was boring, so those kids talked about Konoha all day long, especially you and Naruto. Even I heard a lot of it."

Hinata was surprised. She lowered her eyelashes and sipped her lips: "What... What did you feel when you heard it?"

"... I'm not happy. " He stared at his own hands, clenched to fists and opened again, slowly raising his eyebrows, "So I'll beat them whenever I wanted. I heard they call me Oni."

She chuckled for his joke and quickly suppressed her laughter, coughing: "Well, the nickname suits you very well... "

He looked at her with a slight smile: "So you are brave enough to laugh at me now. Totally different from the girl timid like a tortoise in the Ninja school. "

Hearing his description like this, she was not annoyed, but jokingly asked with slightly teasing smiling: "Sasuke kun, if we come back to childhood, will you still care for me like now?"

He considered for a moment, and kicked the question back to her: "What about you?"

She replied with smile as if there was a childhood scene in front of her eyes: "Do you know I was afraid of you then? You were very cold and also a powerful ninja. How can a plain girl like me talk to you?"

"You had the boring hair like a pot cover, and always buried your head..." He bantered in a gentle voice, looking at her recalling her childhood: "I might not have noticed you, either. So I can tell both of us will waste the chance."

"What a pity!" Hinata laughed softly, "...I was much better then."

"Wrong." He had a smile on his thin lips, showing him completely disarmed his sharp coldness, "It is what you are now the best for me."

Hinata was embraced by this sentence, from head to toe, warm and harmonious, like a waif who had finally found her home to return.

Because of this sense of safety, her brain was suddenly a bit confused. Her thoughts was cut into a lot of debris, gradually drift away as if many string-broken kites.

After a moment of blank, suddenly an idea came out. She grabbed it with haste and sighed with yearning: "How nice it was when we were young...!"

As if to hold the edge of the debris, She continued, not waiting Sasuke to answer.

"At that time, my kitten was not lost..."

"Hanabi were straightforward and lovely, and only as tall as Himawari..."

"Sasuke kun... And Naruto, you quarreled and helped with each other every day... And... "

Her voice slowly lowered, the square lampshade in the view began to become blurred. The grass smell of tatami and the temperature of the brazier were gradually lost.

The world gradually became a chaos full of brilliance. In the center of those light spots, there show Hyuga Neji in silhouette. She gazed at the handsome face of the young man. It's her only brother who had been carelessly missed, easily hurt by her idle frivolity and immature one-way infatuation. People had gradually forgotten him, but after all he left her a guilty scar.

Suddenly she realized that there were some similarities between Sasuke and Neji, which made her both sad and happy.

"And..." Consciousness gradually dispersed in the glimmering light, "People were all concerned about Neji nii-san, while nobody knew... me... "

Sasuke did not turn back. He looked out of the door, still talking with that kind of ease as if nothing had happened, "Do you really think it's good?"

She managed to vibrate the vocal cords that had lost feelings to agreed:

"Yes... I hope people... Forget me... "

Suddenly, there was a strong stabbing pain produced in her paralyzed heart. She pressed her hands on her chest, clenched desperately, and tried to show a smile that no one ever saw.

Then she said her last words:

"Hope... Sasuke kun, you forget me also... "

The snowflakes suddenly fell from the sky, falling in the mud in front of the corridor.

Fell silently and melted quietly, as if the snowflakes had once made the same wish, hoping that their short life can be abandoned in the corner of people's memory after being seen.

The frozen ice came into view. Sasuke still firmly looked at the pond that had withered the lotus, whispering: "Did you see it, Hinata? It's snowing again."

He waited for her answer. It's just a word and easy to say: Yes or no.

In the long silence, only the charcoal in the brazier burned and occasionally cracked.

The snow began to pile up and spread a hazy white on the ground. -There are too many white in the world. The color made him feel way too upset. He suddenly turned back and shut the door.

At last he saw Hyuga Hinata no matter how he escape or unwilling.

With her eyes closed, Her face, which she always forced to show polite smile, now was calm and stable. Only the two hands in front of her chest clenched into a small fists, as if still in a fight with fate.

Sasuke kept silent for a long time before he could reach out and hold one of her cold fist in his palm and smile in a low voice: "Hinata, do not lie... or you will lose our finger guessing game like this."

The frozen pond that was seen in his eyes seemed to be melted by the heat of the charcoal fire. A drop of salty fluid fell on her face as pale as a white lotus.


	37. Chapter 36

36

Late at night, the little cabin was empty, and the big house was silent and dark.

A man walked into the door, stepped not on the road, but straight cross the courtyard over the snow, grass and soil.

The man with golden hair stood on snow. The moonlight mended the snow more chill and reflected on his face, changing his always-warm face into a cold blue color.

Sasuke stood on the porch with his hands clasped behind his back, blocking the paper door in shadow. The charcoal fire inside was extinguished long before, so no one could see what was in there.

He asked, "who are you looking for?"

He replied, "... You, Sasuke."

"Oh? So you are here," With his eyes swept across his friend's face, some ironic showed in Sasuke's voice, "to let me confront with you?"

However, Naruto looked at him seriously and sighed slightly, replied with a steady voice, "No, I'm not, Sasuke. I know you and I know her, too. Do you really think I will doubt you two? I... did not come here for such things."

Silent for a moment, Sasuke lowered his blade eyes, looking back at the snow in the courtyard, saying indifferently, "Then what do you want?"

"...I've decided that I can no longer see Sakura go on like this." Naruto frowned, sighed deeply and continued, "I now understand giving up her was my biggest mistake ever... It was me deceiving myself and others all these years. From now on, I must take good care of her even it means another fight with you."

His voice fell and a silence raised. In this unpredictable tranquility, Naruto stared at Sasuke nervously yet determinedly. From the corner of his eye, he saw the silent room concealing in shadow, which made his heart tighter. There was a part in his heart guessing Hinata was in there even though he trusted them both.

But Sasuke just used his elusive eyes to look back and asked very slowly: "So what are you going to do with Hinata?"

This guy is still like this: Point out what someone wants to escape most by only one sentence. Naruto thought like this and suddenly wanted to laugh, but that smile was nothing but bitter. It was too sad to be seen on the face of optimistic Naruto.

He changed at last. In the azure eyes, there was once light of simply warmth, making a woman seek for her lifetime though sometimes hurt her. It was now different kind of sky, filled with overcast clefts after the rain. Who was able to assert this maturity right or wrong? Maybe only the one beyond the fate.

"... When Hinata's with me, she's not happy, and I was probably the same. I used to pretend that I didn't find the truth. I avoided her by work. But it's unfair for her. From beginning to end, I let her down... That's why I must stop and correct it right now. "

"She told me today that she wanted to escape from the cage with me... So I finally made up my mind to tell you my decision."

His one and only friend was constantly talking in front. People all teased that the seventh Hokage was the world' best speaker who didn't good at speak.

However, this was the first time that Naruto has really solved Sasuke's heart knot by talking. Sasuke was moved by him and conceded to him, but never got enlightened and dawned like by his words like this moment.

"This is it..." Sasuke murmured, "This is... the reason."

"What do you mean?" Naruto never saw such a strange look from Sasuke, so he could not help asking.

-I see. The goal she hid all her weaknesses, ground her teeth hard and put all her efforts for... is to achieve this. She just hoped her husband could get rid of her.

It is too ridiculous, too humble and too arrogant. He would almost laugh at her harmful pride.

But he did not laugh at the end, but suddenly looked at Naruto with extremely sharp eyes, "Have you really have made up your mind and won't change no matter what happened?"

Naruto stood in the courtyard. He felt icy cold at his feet because the pearl white snow. But still he clenched his fists, straightened his back and looked back, "Yes... I have decided to leave Hinata."

With his answer, Sasuke laughed unexpectedly. He picked up this hurting smile like holding an icicle, which also numbed his own hand, to congratulate someone's wish coming true.

Then he took a step to the side and gave a way to the door behind him: "Good. Then come in. She's in here now. "

"Come in, Himawari." Uzumaki Boruto unscrewed the home door and said gently, "It's way too cold outside."

The girl with black hair blue stood outside the door, wearing only a light yellow sweater. Her soft black hair over the shoulder was blew by the wind, making Boruto's heart ache more.

There was a cold winter night outside. At the end of the sky, moonlight reflected the glittering and shining snow mountains, and countless warm lights of the whole Konoha were burning like a birthday cake celebrating for this venerable village. Near by there was only an empty road, tarnish and desolate after sweeping away the snow.

"I am not cold," the figure of the Uzumaki Himawari was motionless, "Nii-san, go back. Don't let Sarada nee-san stay there alone."

Boruto looked back at the direction of the living room. Thought of Sakura and Sarada sitting inside, he couldn't help sighing.

At that moment, Sarada came to him. She put her hand on his arm, and her beautiful face showed a strange melancholy and calm: "Could you go back first, Boruto? I'd like to talk with Himawari."

Boruto entered the house and closed the door. Himawari did not turn around: "So what's your speech now?" Her tone was surprisingly impolite, far from her usual gentle and respectful manner.

Sarada stood at the door with her eyes gazing at the warm light in the distance: "You once said that if someone was happy, it is because another person was suffering. I sneered at your words before, because I thought you and Hinata san had obviously got the happiness but you didn't cherish it."

Himawari did not answer, standing still.

"... But now, I can't see it through. "

"I can't see where the root is of today's situation. The only thing I know is that you and me, your mother and mine, even our fathers are all in misery."

"If they are unfortunate, why were they together from the beginning? If they want someone else, why did they choose each other before?"

Her voice was sentimental, and those questions floated to the horizon of the vast white sky and faded away. There were too many people having the same doubt and seeking the same answer, yet the heaven and earth returned only the silent snow and moonlight always.

Himawari looked at these snow and moonlight, revealing a bitter smile on her lips.

-How could the fruit of remorse, no matter how unlimited it was, in the world win the original vine of love and hate tightly wrapped around people's heart?

"I think maybe it's because they were too hard to choose carefully when there was a chance."

"They only thought their hard work would naturally bring happiness even if the choice was wrong."


	38. Chapter 37

37

Uchiha Sasuke stayed in his home then.

But his "home" seemed not to be called home at all. The paper doors in the house were full of holes and cracks. The courtyard walls collapsed; The withered trees were almost burnt, and stone road were turned all around. Most of the water in the pond evaporated and the lotus leaves fell apart fragmentary. Half of the roof of the house fell down, leaking pale sunlight from the broken beams.

Sasuke was sitting in the ruins. In the corridor he sat there was a huge rapture, which traversed the ten-metre-long corridor.

The man who had always been boring tidy now looked just as terrible as his house: His black coat slanted down from the right shoulder, and the blood flowing down from his forehead to the chin. The cold air in the deep winter invaded him and made his face pale.

But he still sat there, from twilight to dawn, to dusk, to midnight, till another morning.

He sat there and did nothing. He seemed to be thinking nothing, and there was nothing left to see. Only the Indigo obizime in his palm was clutched tight and can't let go. It was finely weaved into unique texture with two beautiful white pearls passing through in the middle.

Suddenly, someone came over with a little stumbling footsteps.

Sasuke did not look up, as if no footstep was heard in his ears.

"Yo, Sasuke."

Uzumaki Naruto was already accustomed to his indifference, so laughed and greeted him. The smile pulled the serious wound on his face and produced some pain. He got beat by someone else black and blue, looking ten times more miserable than Sasuke.

The night before last, he fought with Sasuke and got injured. After that, he went to the Hyuga's Mansion to return Hinata's body. That's when he was beaten by Hanabi's guards for almost one hour and did not strike back.

And the young woman, the lord of Hyuga, was silently sitting by the side of her long-gone sister.

She did not say a word until Konohamaru stepped up to her and tried to persuade. Hanabi raised her head and looked at him and Naruto with distant eyes without any emotion. She was even disinclined to show her hate.

Then she lowered her head and clenched her sister's cool, pale hand:

"Tell the whole Konoha and report to the Dyamio: From now on, Hyuga Hinata has no relation with Uzumaki family any more. She'll still be buried in our ancestral tombs."

"The Hyuga clan will still obey the dispatch of Hokage, but shall not the seventh Hokage nor his any follower step into our house once again. Otherwise we have the right to kill on sight."

"Farewell, respectful Hokage."

After that, Naruto did not return to his house, but went to the cemetery and stood there for a night facing the tomb of Hyuga Neji.

Uchiha Sasuke did not answer his greeting, sitting still in the corridor indifferently. Naruto walked directly to him and sat down on the mud beside his feet. Somehow, Sasuke did not show the attitude to get rid of him. They fought very hard last night, almost demolished the house, but now they were getting along as usual. Both of them were indeed strange men.

Naruto looked at the messy dirt and overturned grass heaped because of their fight for a long time, and suddenly said:"Sasuke, I used to think that lots of your thoughts were all wrong."

Sasuke's eyes flickered a little but he did not answer.

Naruto did not seem to expect answers, murmuring, "but am I more right than you? If so, why didn't you ever become happier after I found you back? "

"...It's meaningless to talk about," Sasuke finally opened his mouth and said, "what's in the past,."

"I just couldn't figure it out, and I didn't dare to." Naruto shook his head lightly and smiled bitterly, as if he were negating his whole past, "Was I so wrong that my deeds made her... Unwilling to tell me any truth, even if it was about her life? "

"..." Sasuke rubbed the pearls in the obizime with his thumb. It has such warm and milky white, enwrapped with long time pain and bearing, but also too hard to hold. It's without a doubt a symbol of her cruel and stubborn arrogance. "she knew you too well. If she told you the truth, how would you leave her? But she just can't tolerate it no more... She was pushing you away and hoping you leave. "

Naruto couldn't help looking up at him.

He will remind of this scene in the future many, many times.

It was the first time that he saw this man, who had been proud and indifferent since an early age and used a cold, rock-like shell to cover his heart, showed a kind of excessive mixed with excessive pain, excessive sorrow, and excessive tenderness.

The moist feeling in the dark eyes, unlike his past intense, violent love and hatred, was rather gently spreading and moving like a black butterfly who had only one chance to spread its wings was experiencing the only moment of this life and death.

It can not be repeated, it can not be retained. That's why it was heartquaking.

Naruto understood all of a sudden. It was because he actually knew both Sasuke and Hinata well, that he came to the opposite conclusion at this moment.

\- She shared with him the secret that should be carefully kept, and he kept it for her until now. In fact, Neither the Hyuga Hinata afraid to trouble others, nor the Uchiha Sasuke hate to be troubled, would have done such things. They were both stubborn as stone, and will never take a step back even in the face of the whole world.

A long time ago, in a small Izakaya, Naruto remembered his close friend said: "You can indulge her a little."

"I guess..." In the end, he just lifted his head and looked at the profound sky, letting the droplets in his eyes dried up slowly. "Maybe all of her wilful persistence can only get understood and cherished by no one else but you."

Sasuke clenched the indigo band in his hand. Her annoying face appeared in his mind: That was a person who insisted to do the "wrong thing" and change the immutable fate. It reminded him of the bleak wind he had heard in the wilderness when he was young, and suddenly overlaid with another man, bleeding from his deep, red eye and gently smiling.

The gentleness was too lonely and rigid to be known. It was like some one brushed through your eyes with two fingers, and then stabbed a knife into your heart and its iron wall.

With the sharp pain of the stabbing illusion, facing the silent snow in the mountains, Sasuke said a sentence that can not even bring an empty echo. Nobody knew whether his defence had a trace of favoritism or not: "...She just hoped, you could be happy."

Naruto kept silent for a long time. He smiled bitterly, and slowly put his wounded forehead on his knees, like a child who was fear of coldness, like the evening sun tired of people's hopeful gaze.

"Ah... I will. "

"Just wait a minute... I will go to become 'happy'. I will not let her down... I will let no one down, and make everyone satisfied."

"I just need... a minute. "


	39. Chapter 38

38

There were no outsiders allowed to join Hinata's funeral except for Uzumaki Himawari and Uzumaki Boruto.

Huyga Hanabi conducted the funeral. The same preparation, the same ceremony, nothing different with the funeral of her father last year.

The former black suit had almost the same weight as the jyuni hitoe, making her shoulders painful and steps staggering.

The people in Hyaga's high gate inherited more or less the lofty introversion belongs to old aristocratic. Some carried the cage while others carried the key, and they were always disagreed with each other.

Such a family can not be discribed as happy and harmonious, but it was still the unique one that nothing can replace. When walking her own way, she lost brother, parents and sister one by one, and now she suddenly understood the so-called "age of standing" means in which one person had to standing and bearing loneliness.

After the funeral, Boruto couldn't forgive his father, and soon asked to leave the Konoha again. Himawari was still in the village, but mostly to comfort his father's mood, so she did not visit Hyuga's mansion any more.

Without the occasional laughter of nephew and niece, Hyuga Hanabi's inner house was particularly empty and desolate. The trees in the courtyard, which had heard her and Sasuke quarrelling, appeared even more disturbing than others.

It was soon chopped down and the yard was of much empty space. Suddenly she remembered her sister's cabin. So she temporarily cancelled all the schedules and walked towards the edge of the Konoha with a team of attendants.

To be there, she was a little stunned. Nee-san's house was in good condition, but the house of Uchiha on the opposite was about to turned into a ruins. The man named Uchiha Sasuke was sitting by his damaged courtyard wall facing the wooden house. He stayed still with a foot on a broken brick, appearing his normal poker face.

Sasuke turned his eyes to meet Hanabi's white pupils. But the two of them only looked at each other for one second before the ignoring. Hanabi was lacking of interests in his meditation. She commanded the clansmen to remove the cabin piece by piece in order to take back and reinstall it in Hyuga's manor.

However, as the hand of an attendant was about to touch the log, a flash of lightning suddenly stretched with a piercing screaming and struck his arm impartially. The servant could not help but crying out, staggering backward for two paces, falling down on the ground.

Hanabi was surprised and angry. She opened her Byakugan and turned back; Sasuke stood up and walked up to the team of Hyuga's with the electric light of Chidori jumping in his palm. Three intricate Magatama rotated a little in his one red pupil, giving stern coldness.

"You may not touch any piece of her room."

Hanabi sneered at his decloration: "Who are you to judge my decision on a Hyuga's properity?"

"This is her house. Not Hyuga's." Her words did not seem to have any influence on Sasuke. "You don't have no rights even if you are her master."

Uchiha Sasuke, nearly a stranger and completely an outsider, was here to teach how to her treat her sister? Hanabi felt bursting out of the repressed anger, stopped the clansmen behind and gave a smile to Sasuke, "Uchiha, I'd be happy to raze the damn village to the ground now. So, if you want to fight, I'd be glad to. "

The protruding meridians beside her eyes were appalling, but her voice was soft and graceful, and one could hardly hear a bit of hatred from it.

Sasuke looked at her. Somehow, he did not speak. Although she was the owner of the most distinguished family of Konoha, at the moment, she was only a younger one losing her kyoudai just like Hinata, and he himself as well.

Two pair of the most rare eyes in the world stalemated, and Sasuke took the lead in converging his blood red into a black with no emotion: "But I won't join."

"..." Hanabi took back her Byakugan and held her arms. Her words was still with the superior attitude of Hyuga, "Okay, I'll give you a chance. Why can't I move the house?"

"... Because this was the place she wanted to be, the house she wanted to build. She could not do many things as her wish in her lifetime but this cabin. So whether it is you, or... " He paused as if swallowed a word back, "no one has the right to do anything. Except protection."

Hanabi looked at Sasuke's face in astonishment. His face was handsome and pale. When he talked, he seemed to be enveloped in a sad but unchangeable cloud. With the eyes disappeared the bloody color, he gazed at the little purple flowers in front of the cabin. The flowers called Yukiwarisou were silent and soft, but they only bloom in the mountains of winter, as if intend to carry the icy wind and snow.

\- He was sitting at the courtyard wall looking at these small flowers.

Very suddenly, it reminded Hanabi that Hinata brought out many kitchen utensils from home, but when she came to visit, they were not in this wooden house. When got asked, nee-san just smiled and said, "It dosen't matter. I've made full use of them for someone. Now that he is not around, why would I need them?"

At that time, she thought it refered to Uzumaki Naruto. But she was surprised to find the sweetness and sadness in Hinata's smile and voice when recalling. For a gentle and quiet person like her, it should be a feeling that had never had the opportunity to be understood.

Without instruction, all the clansmen behind Hanabi went silently to another side and stood with hands behind their backs. The heavy snow in the forest had somewhat melted, and the lonely cold wind whistled through road betweem her cabin and the his house.

"It was the Konoha, it was the Hokage, it was... the Hyuga killed her. But she loved and protected all these murderers... " Hanabi looked at the little wooden house with no owner with misty eyes. "So, in order to respect her will, I have to protect these things, too- Is this what you mean? "

Sasuke lowered his eyes, avoiding her anguish face that broke her arrogant mask: "... Not mine. I'm merely an outcast."

Hanabi looked at his face very carefully, and suddenly said to the clansmen behind, "Do not tear down the house. Never."

All the clansmen had a respectful nod and said: "comply with your wish." She did not hesitate to walk to the intersections of the forest road, but before she left, she stopped - catching a person's Chakra in a her quiet Byakugan net.

So she seemed to avange the woman who was always smiling, turning back and said loudly, "Uchiha Sasuke! If you ever have the chance, will you give up everything and choose her? "

He was stunned, and narrowed his black eyes as if aware of someone. At the end he did not anwser but gazed at the feild under the cabin window. A small piece of Yukiwarisou blossomed there. His pale, deep eyes slowly closed, and an invisible smile replaced the reply.

Hyuga Hanabi looked at him for one last time by her proud white pupils, and then walked away.

A figure rushed past the cold branches near Hanabi straight towards the wooden house, clutching her five fingers. The burning storm in her tearful eyes was more violent than the chakra condensed above her fist.

A man suddenly appeared and blocked in front of her. His black hair was raised by the wind, showing the Rinnegan on the left and the Sharingan on the right. But there was not a slightest intension of warpath there. He called her name mildly: "Sakura."

Uchiha Sakura's fist paused a bit before beat fiercely on his shoulder. She may have withdrawn a lot of effort, but a sound of dislocation was still heard. Uchiha Sasuke forced himself to stop his feet stepping back. His heels stopped at the edge of the flower garden and his mouth was overflowing with a little blood.

"..." Sakura could not help glancing at his blood, but quickly saw that his foot refused to step back. She laughed coldly: "I hit her cabin, and you come to protect by your flesh and blood... Uchiha Sasuke, how romantic! "

Sasuke raised his hand to wipe the blood away, then pushed his shoulder back to the spot without frowning. Looking at the woman in front, he should have felt angry, dismayed or guilty, but at the moment in his heart there was only a serenity gentleness: "Sakura, you should stop, too."

Her shoulders thrilled. Closing her eyes slowly, she took a deep breath; And when she opened her eyes again, there was no trace of tear in the bright green, only cold indifference.

Looking through the man in front, Uchiha Sakura talking to the proud young boy word by word, as if there were some part of her body getting snapped out of her soul. It was too hurt for her to clearly hear what she was answering:

"...Then let's stop."

The Yukiwarisou behind his heel blossomed in silence and the wind was cold like always.


	40. Chapter 39

39

"Isn't there a roof of your house?"

Winter snow is going to melt soon. Uchiha Sasuke walked through the long muddy road to Iwagan san's shop to buy things. He visited here a lot since coming back. Perhaps his dead face was too annoyed, even the wrinkles on the old man's face were much deeper than before.

At this moment, grandpa's eyes were full of disdain, staring at his black robe stained by raindrops, asking in the tone of talking reasons to a naive child.

Sasuke carried a packet of onigiri and a bottle of sake, handing the money over: "I'm not going to stay here for a long time."

Iwagan san tossed two coins back, humming from his nose, "so why don't you get your ass out now?"

"..." Sasuke caught the coin. "I'll leave when the flowers fade away."

The old man narrowed his eyes and sneered his words: "Are you fool? The flowers will never fade!"

Sasuke stared at the change in his hand, slowly clenching his fingers into fist: "No... It will wither. Soon even before you know. "

"You young people always think you know everything, don't you?" Iwagan san picked up his eyebrows. From the eyes that watched too many vicissitudes some recollections raised, and they were all about a white-eye woman and the bouquets she sent here time to time. "You should watch your flower not by eyes but your heart because you never understand the truth of it. Do as I told you before you make your profound and sad conclusion!"

\- Sasuke was scolded by the old man as if he was a child. Though he indeed was one when facing Iwagan san. Sasuke did not feel angry about it, but he did not understand the meaning of Iwagan san's words, either.

The silent winter is about to past, and the Yukiwarisou was gradually fading away. This was her flower and his flower, which could not escaped the inevitability of fate just like the two of them.

But when spring finally came, he found himself wrong.

Beside the withered Yukiwarisou, the golden primroses opened.

After the primroses' resplendence died done, the branches of jasmine drew out, appearing star-like buds.

At this time, he received a secret order and had to leave the mountain to meet with Gaara. When he came back, it was already summer. On the land of jasmine's wilderness, wild roses bloomed and spread over half of the flower bed. On the other side of the hut interwove the tall and sturdy hibiscus and the small and delicate bluebells. The daisies featured out of the dense weave flowers like white pearls scattered across.

At this time, each color of the flowers, like a flood, was all over the ground. The fragrance brought many insects, birds and even rabbits in the forest, twittering and chattering, making this empty place lively.

The Yukiwarisou withered away, but the flowers bloomed one after another and they never stopped.

Uchiha Sasuke stood in the edge of the collapsed courtyard. He was covered with dust and sand on the road. In the old and desolate courtyard, between the bricks and the rubble, thin green limbered up as if waving their hands to the cabin.

Looking at the small wooden house and the bright flowers across the ground, he suddenly remembered the words she once said: "I think it's great if a person can see flowers. It's like getting accompanied by them."

She was so ill at the time, how could she ever need these flowers to bloom and accompany?

He leaned his head on the door frame. The dust at the top of his head fell down and fell into his eyes, making his murmur with smile choked:

"I...admit your victory."

"All over the world, only you can beat me by this impossible funny way."

It's just a flower. What can it do?

It will not change the harsh winter that will eventually come. It will not cover the cracks on the whole earth. It can't even avoid its fate to wither away.

What it can do was nothing but doing its best in this small soil to instantly bloom the tender color and reflecting the black eyes of desolation.

Compared with the laser that collided with sword and Shuriken, the thrill in the heart of life and death, and the lovers' brave hands clenched together in the war, this kind of flower seemed so unworthy, almost boring, totally incompatible with the age of greatness.

But after all, its figure fell into the dark eyes of a lonely man. It was more powerful than any jutsu in the world, and he can never get rid of it.

There was a flower dedicating her useless color, slipping into the red eyes covered by his blackness. She used this small and boring tenderness to soothe the bleeding wound in his eye sockets.

"Don't cry, Sasuke kun." He heard her saying gently.

So he closed his eyes. A thought came into his heart: Before leaving, there should be a roof of the house.


	41. Chapter 40

40

After the death of Hinata, the relationship between Boruto and his father finally reached the freezing point. He would not meet Naruto unless it was about missions. When went home to pack packages, he just ignored the figure that was sitting in the living room.

Konohamaru was often getting angry with Boruto's attitude, but he always answered the same sentence coldly: "He let my mother die alone, and I will never forgive him for ever."

As for Naruto, he seemed to still be the strong and lovely Hokage. The only bad change was probably the same as Jiraiya: Naruto began to drink despite he was a cheap drunk. However, the blue eyes, which are a little dizzy due to alcohol, will immediately gain back the sharpness and clarity to find out and erase any danger against the peace of Konoha when encountering major events.

As a result, he was still the most loved one of everyone. Even the most enthusiastic gossips kept their silence about his family issue, as if nothing had ever happened. - Yes, Naruto was still a Naruto. Whenever Konoha or Sakura needs him, he will rush into the battle without hesitation. And this consistent bravery was now solidified by someone's gentle request, making him bite his teeth to go forward. It was about the "Happiness" so he shall never stop footsteps.

But his acts were noting in Boruto's eyes. His son gave a cold laugh as comment: "He's really never gonna change, isn't he? Still a hot hearted for others and a cold fish for mom."

Himawari was also worried about Boruto. She waited for him to understand but finally can't stand: "Nii-san, the thing between mom and dad is not like what you think... "

"How dare you speak for him in front of me!" Boruto cut off her words with a irritable glare. "I might not know much because I'm outside the village all the time, but I do know that he has never paid a visit to mom's former residence for nearly a year! And he doesn't even allow me to go there! "

Himawari watched her brother's angry face with grief. She kept silent for a long time and decided to say, "Nii-san, if you want to go, take advantage of tomorrow. I will help you keeping it from dad. - I heard that Sasuke san will return tomorrow."

"Shisyou...?" He was stunned and his voice turned slow. "What does this have to do with him?"

Himawari did not answer his question and turned around walking to the door, only saying softly, "You may understand if you go there tomorrow... I think."

"Why speak in riddles, you little elf! " Boruto looked at her back, biting his teeth like a child. But her small, thin figure and long, black hair made his expression back into gentleness.

On the second afternoon, he walked into the office of Hokage crying.

Naruto was holding his chin, drinking and looking at the document then, so the unexpected visit of his son surprised him a lot. He stood up and rush to him: "What's the matter?! What's up, Boruto? Did you get hurt or is there anything wrong? "

He kept asking, but there were only tears answering him. Naruto had no way to stop him, only to wipe Boruto's running eyes and nose using his sleeve.

What did the Uzumaki Boruto see? It was nothing big. It was just Uchiha Sasuke sitting on his newly renovated roof, facing the wooden house on the other side of the road, lifting a glass of wine. He smiled and said a word, then drank the sake slowly.

Boruto would never imagine hearing his proud and silent Shisyou talk to a person long gone in such a gentle tone, greeting her:"Ta da i ma, Hinata."

And the brilliant flowers across the road seemed to be planted for him only. At that moment, they swayed gently in the wind, answering his words.

What happened between his parents and his Shisyou? He was not clear because he was outside always. But at that moment, he suddenly felt too much sadness, anger, pain and weirdly, relief.

There was no reason or logic to express these feelings, which instantly burst out from the narrow vessels of heart. He was not clear if they were about his father, his mother, his Shisyou, his sister or his own. He run away like a child, could not stop crying and wailing.

Indeed, he understood many things like Himawari said, but he can't see through if they were mistakes or not.

In the tempestuous waves, the only thing that hurt him most was Naruto's choice, which he once hated. At first, he refused to take a step toward her wooden house because of his evasion. At last, he chose to stop away from the mountain belong to the other two people because of his gentleness.

In a while, Naruto's sleeve on the left was too wet to use. He replaced it by sleeve on the right.

Suddenly, Boruto avoided his father's hand and buried his head into his chest. Naruto was puzzled but did not push him away, holding him in arms with a sighing smile.

Boruto's hearing was a little blurred because of crying. He heard someone push the door open, and then the voice of Sakura sounded: "Naruto, this the your new paper...Wow, what happened to Boruto?"

Naruto raised his head and allowed his son to wipe the tear and snot on his shirt. He smiled softly and said, "I don't know, either. But he cries. Put the paper aside and I'll read it later, okay? "


	42. Chapter 41

41

After the flowers of Hinata blossomed one by one, there came the season of Yukiwarisou again.

In this season, Uzumaki Naruto chose a lucky day before the eve of the new year. Uchiha Sarada and the Uzumaki Boruto finally got married.

Uchiha Sakura was terribly busy for several days, barely sleeping. She sat tiredly in the dressing room behind the wedding hall, bending over the dresser full of head flowers, puff cakes and cosmetics and took a nap for a while.

"Sakura, it's cold now. Cover the clothes." A man's voice rang behind the door, but his footsteps did not come in.

Sakura raised her body with arms. From the dressing mirror in front of her, she saw Uchiha Sasuke at the door. She replied with indifference: "It's none of your business whether I am cold or not."

A week ago, Sasuke came down from the mountain to prepare the wedding of his disciple and daughter.

The relationship between Sarada and Sasuke eventually became very special. Unlike the father and daughter, they were more like friends that did not see a lot but feel close with each other. It was a tacit agreement in their blood of Uchiha. On the other hand, Sakura showed a polite attitude during this second meeting. She gave him nothing but politeness just like he expected.

Hearing her refusal, Sasuke quietly lowered his eyes and turned away.

Sakura tightened her back very straight, cannot help herself, with all her strength, staring at his face gradually turning around from the mirror, and suddenly said loudly: "Sasuke! I don't need you anymore, do you understand?! I don't need no more...! "

He stood with his back to her, and two words came out in his heart. But in the end, he just said gently: "You'd better sleep. A ninja must know how to keep her strength. "

Haruno Sakura clasped her trembling hands, and looked at the mirror reflecting his leaving. Her tears streamed down. But she quickly wiped her face, and fell on the dresser with her forehead against the cold desktop, and said to herself, "Yes, sleep, Haruno Sakura..! For you, tomorrow will be another day...! "

The most beautiful woman in the dazzling hall was still Yamanaka Ino who attracted everyone's attention since the girls' time.

She came to help. At the moment, she was smiling and greeting guests, occasionally looking over the direction of the dressing room. In her beautiful eyes, there could not help showing complicated emotions.

The two of them once fought for Sasuke, but none of them turned out to be the winner. Now that Ino's feelings for Sasuke fainted into a kind of recollections. In her heart, the one she cared most was still her wide-forehead friend.

Just then, Ino and Naruto looked up at each other. Naruto smiled and toasted her, and shouted "thank you Ino!" She responded with a very bright smile, too.

-The other one she felt pity for was probably Naruto? But, like most of the people in the village, she hid her pity quietly. The only thing she can do for Naruto was to returned with the same smile and greeting when met the golden hair Hokage.

On the other side, Boruto and Sarada finally escaped from the battlefield of all kinds of toasts and congratulations. They looked at each other and sighed tiredly together.

Facing the bustle in hall, Sarada suddenly smiled her beautiful lips with red rouge into a bitter arc: "Are we really going to get married? It's so unreal... What if it is too difficult for us in the future? what should we do if our marriage turned out to be wrong, too?"

Boruto was stunned a little. His handsome face, which had always been very bold and strong, appeared a steady smile after a pause. He gently held her hand: "Don't be afraid. When you feel too hard to go on, I will carry you on my back. -And for God's sake, if I can't move, make sure I can get some rests on my wife's back. okay? "

Sarada could not help smiling: "Listen to this bizarre hope! who will marry you besides me?"

"Why would I need any other?" Boruto laughed and held her hand more tightly. "Sarada..." The cool temperature of her hand, making his heart ache from nowhere, "Don't be afraid."

She listened to his soft voice, squinting her sour eyes slightly, and nodded: "I won't."

At that time, Uchiha Sasuke walked out of the room and headed to Naruto under the eaves.

Naruto did not make some pleasant greetings like to the others, but rather glanced at him in a quiet way, and then looked back at Boruto son in the distance. His blue eyes seemed to be filled with emotion.

Sasuke also stared at his daughter quietly. After a moment, he spoke calmly, "Naruto, I'm leaving Konoha today."

Naruto's eyes trembled and some of his old memories showed in his brain again. If he was the old Naruto, he would obey his heart and catch this guy's shoulder and shout "do not go!". It was the style he used to develop and carry out in half of his life. But in the end, he just clenched his fist slowly, "I see."

Sasuke glanced at his face and said, "if you need me someday, maybe I will come back."

Naruto silently for a moment and laughed: "Sasuke sama, you still feel so good about yourself? But sorry, I'm the Hokage, so my duty that only belong to me. You'd better go wherever you want." Suddenly his laughter disappeared, and some struggle revealed, "Hmm, but, I mean.. You know, before you go, don't you have something to give me?"

Sasuke startled. There was something hidden in the pocket next to his heart since that day rustling a little as if advocated its existence.

Pause for a moment, he replied, "... Then, I gift you my celadon wine cup "

Naruto seemed a bit surprised, and somehow not surprised at all: "... I see. "

The sun shone down in the cold winter sky, making the lonely backs of the two of them shimmering.

"Do you know? You're a asshole." Naruto suddenly said, with a smile on his face.

Sasuke also smiled lightly and replied, "Same as you, you biggest jerk."

In the early morning of this day, Uchiha Sasuke left Konoha without a sound nor a goodbye to anyone. There were many countries and village on this continent, but no one had seen his whereabouts.

Only the two houses were standing at the end of the forest road in the mountain. There was a self-evident silence between the verdant spring breeze and sentimental autumn rain.

And their flowers bloomed, as always.


	43. Chapter 42

42

After that, it reminded him of her whenever he saw the sky and the land, the flame and the moonlight, the birds and the fish, and the indigo Obizime on the sheath of his sword.

After that, it reminded him of her whenever he saw the withering and blooming of wild flowers, the collapse and rebirth of people's fates, and every kind of rueful parting and gentle reunion in this cold world.

After that, he spent his spring, summer, fall and winter alone or sometimes with others.

After that, in the morning, noon, twilight and midnight, he traveled with others or sometimes hurried alone.

But he always remembered her, smiling and bowing under the sunshine of their crossing, calling his name with four soft syllables:

Sasuke kun, please be careful on your way.


	44. Coda

[Coda]

"Did Himawari and the young man leave together?"

Uzumaki Boruto opened the door of Hokage's office and asked in a little surprise.

Uzumaki Naruto sat on his office chair back to his son, looking at the clear sky outside the window: "Yes, she just came to say goodbye."

Boruto looked at his father's back with a sigh in his eyes, sat down on the sofa. He quickly changed his expression with a relaxed smile: "Guess what? Last night she came to find Sarada. They two talked for a whole night about how to abandon her dear brother! And even kept this secret to me till this morning... It's not like I would interfere with her decision! Really, my little elf has forgotten her real kyoudai these years!"

"..." Naruto looked at his annoyed face and smiled. After a moment, he slowly said, "she is more like her mother, concerning about other people's feelings too much. So I'm surprised and happy that the young boy Yukisei changed her. I was worried she would refuse him because she worried about me... It's a good thing to have Sarada pushed her a little. "

"Dad, you really are worrisome." Boruto laughed, showing no respect to one of the greatest Hokage in front of him, "Now Himawari left, it's my turn to take a good care of you!"

Naruto turned his chair and faced his son, and picked up eyebrow: "Why don't you ou little hen-pecked take care of your own ass?"

Boruto shrugged his shoulders and confessed his family position proudly: "At least I got the most beautiful wife in Konoha! So much better than your, my bachelor dad! I wonder when would you turn the Haruno into Uzuma..."

Naruto was stunned a little. The beautiful face like Sakura blossoms floated in his heart. In his eyes passed through a repressive tenderness, but it finally got pressed down. He shook his head and smiled, and picked up the celadon cup on the table. His azure eyes and the color of the wine reflected each other. It changed from a stream of shallow water into a deep, calm sea.

All the people had been trying to persuade him abstain from wine, but he did not learn to control till he fell from the second floor this year after drunk. His life was about learning control, no matter it was Kurama, drinking or anything else. He stumbled too much on his way before succeeded. Uzumaki Naruto was not born to be hero. From the depressed child to the seventh Hokage drinking slowly today, it was hard to tell the number of injuries on his body and heart.

Looking at his father's calm but unrefined face, Boruto felt it not appropriate to consciously mention the relationship between Naruto and Sakura. He scratched his face and looked for another topic: "Right, by the way, what did the boy called Yukisei bring to you?"

His question made Naruto in a daze a bit. Naruto glanced at the letter placed on his table. It was carefully sealed in cellophane, remaining its intactness regardless of its yellowing envelope. It was evident that a person that disliked to touch others' things preserved the letter.

After a thought, Naruto smiled at last: "It was a thing that his Shisyou refused to give me back, and I pretended not to notice."

Yukisei held Himawari's hand, walking in the middle of the road, ignoring all kinds of surprises and puzzled eyes all the way from the Hokage's office to the village entrance. Himawari was a little embarrassed and tried to break away, but he seemed not to feel any shyness at all.

Standing on the main road of the village, the boy turned to Himawari, smiling: "Hima, where do you want to go first? North and south, I'll accompany you wherever! "

Himawari lowered her eyes and thought about it, and replied, "where is your country? I want to see it, and your family, too. "

"That's great!" Yukisei laughed happily. His cheeks flushed a little: "My country suits your flower perfectly! It is the Empire without sunsets; my Shisyou... You knew him, too! "

His smile and praise of her name made her shy, and his "Shisyou" was also a curiosity to her: "You are not belonged to any of our village, but owns such a good jutsu... Who is your Shisyou indeed? "

Yukisei showed a mysterious smile: "Emmm... You will know when you see him!"

Boruto was called out by Shikamaru, and there was no one in the office besides Naruto.

Uzumaki Naruto slowly opened the letter. After reading it, he held it carefully in his hands and looked out into the sky for a long time.

There were like a lot of things falling into his eyes. Or it was like nothing because the breezing gentleness. So there were salty drops that have been forced to bear for many years fell down heavily.

 _To my dear husband Naruto:_

 _Be with you hand in hand for seventeen years, owe you everything and have nothing to repay._

 _I give you my gratefulness, my apologize and my do-not-love today._

 _Your take your freedom back and I get rid of my cage. The life is too short and it was wasted too much. True love is too rare but we both gave up for our timidity. Do not be me when you still have time._

 _I wish your forgive, your forget and your brand new start._

 _I wish your happiness from the above of star._

 _Your dear friend,_

 _Hinata_

[annotations]

These are the explanation of the subtitles of each part of this fanfic. I don't have enough skill to translate the original Chinese annotations into English because they are kind of rhythmical prose (actually the letter at the end is a verse too and I did it sucks...), so I'll put the Chinese above and the detailed explanation below. There are some allusions there and I'll try my best to show it to all my dear readers.

part of orchid（佐雏二人，性本孤洁，虽生于温室，仍归于空谷。)

There is an idiom called 空谷幽兰 in China, it means an Orchid blossoming in a quiet valley, describing people who are noble and distant from crowds. And Chinese has preference to Orchid so we often grow those expensive ones in the greenhouse. So I used Orchid to mean Sasuke and Hinata both. They are born in noble family but they chose to leave the crowd and lived their lives in the mountain.

part of orange flowers（情愫渐生，命途多舛，如尝柑橘之花，甜酸又含苦涩。）

The second part is mainly telling how SasuHina get closer with each other. Their growing love is sweet and sour and bitter because their life were full of frustrations. It tasted like the orange flower.

3:The part of water lily（夜能盛开，却畏阳光，盖道德所难许，亦残烛所不容。）

The water lily has a feature that it always closes its petals under the sunlight, only blossoms during night. So it's a metaphor to SasuHina's relationship, which is against morality and hopeless because of Hinata's health.

4:The chapter of kikyou (心知无望，不减永恒，花不通人语是非，人难舍此中愚痴。)

The Kikyou(ballonflower) has two languages of flower, first is permanent love, and the second is fruitless love. I think they can both beautifully describe SasuHina in this fiction, and the contradiction between permanent and fruitless is what Sasuke has to bear.

5:The chapter of Yukiwarisou（时虽苦短，仍期春报，赠君泪中笑，是谓"雪之生"。）

Yuliwarisou(Hepatica nolilis) is a peculiar plant in Japan. It is tiny but strong and only blossoms in cold winter. I used it to image Hinata, who seems soft and plain but always shows her brightness when misfortune comes. She gave her smile despite her tears just like the flower gave its beauty against the snow. By the way, Yukisei got his name from Sasuke because of this flower.


End file.
